Junior Boks bring in 'promising young coach'

NEWS: SA Rugby announced the addition of Melusi Mthethwa to the Junior Springbok coaching staff, with the former Shimlas assistant coach responsible for the backline and attack responsibilities of the SA Under-20 team.

Mthethwa joins a new-look coaching set-up as assistant coach, featuring Junior Bok head coach Kevin Foote and incumbent assistant coach Lumumba Currie, who has performed the forwards and scrum coach duties for the past two seasons.

The 39-year-old Mthethwa started in his new role on Friday and will be based in Stellenbosch with the rest of the core Junior Bok coaching and management staff.

Dave Wessels, SA Rugby’s General Manager for High-Performance, welcomed Mthethwa into his role and said he was looking forward to working with the new-look Junior Bok management staff as they prepare for what promises to be a busy international season next year.

Mthethwa began his coaching journey at the North-West University’s Puk Rugby Institute and then moved across to the Leopards, from where he joined Free State as head coach of their U19 and U21 sides. That four-year stint paved the way for his journey with the senior Cheetahs side, a role as head coach of CUT’s Varsity Cup side, attack coach of the Griquas team in the Currie Cup, and assistant coach of the Shimlas.

“Melusi was an integral part of the Shimlas team this year, where they played an attacking brand of rugby on their way to winning the Varsity Cup,” said Wessels.

“Through his association with many junior and senior provincial teams, he has proven himself to be a very talented and promising young coach. He has good technical knowledge and great energy, and I know he will make a big contribution towards our Junior Boks.”

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SA Rugby recently completed a thorough review of the Junior Springboks’ 2024 season, which saw the team finish seventh at the World Rugby Under-20 Championship and second in the inaugural U20 Rugby Championship, organised by SANZAAR in Australia. That has resulted in an overhaul of the Junior Bok coaching structure.

According to Wessels, the Junior Springboks will also bring in specialist consultants in key identified areas.

“We had a robust Junior Bok review, and while we were disappointed with the performances, we identified areas where we could strengthen the coaching structures and management areas,” he said.

“The main goal of our Junior Bok programme is to create future Springboks, so we have an intense focus on individual skill, athletic, and technical development.

“Apart from members of SA Rugby’s Mobi-Unit, such as Duane Vermeulen, we have also identified several other specialist consultants to assist us in developing the players.”

Mthethwa said he was excited and felt privileged to be part of the Junior Boks’ coaching structure.

“It’s a massive honour, really, to be able to serve your country and I am looking forward for this very exciting challenge,” he said.

“If your look at the recent U18 International Series, as well as the SA Rugby U19 and U21 competitions, then you realise that we have such an incredible pool of exciting and talented young rugby players coming through the ranks of a proven and world-class pathway.

“I am looking forward to making a contribution, which will see us, as a team, preparing these young men to compete successfully at international level, and lay the foundation for them to develop into future Springboks.”

One of the key outcomes of the 2024 Junior Bok review and SA Rugby’s optimisation process, is the establishment of a new-look SA Rugby U19 Academy squad, which will kick into gear around the middle of November, during which time the group of more than 40 promising U19 players will be based at the Stellenbosch Academy of Sport (SAS).

This intake will form the core of the next generation of Junior Springboks, which next year will compete in the World U20 event, the U20 Rugby Championship and most probably undertake a brief tour to Europe to prepare the players for the two big international events.