SA Rugby officially says goodbye to 'one of the leading coaches in the country'
SPOTLIGHT: The ‘principles and fundamentals’ introduced by Swys de Bruin during his tenure as head coach of the Springbok Women will live on as the team enters a new chapter.
On Thursday, SA Rugby President Mark Alexander extended his thanks to De Bruin, who stepped down from his position at the end of August 2026.
De Bruin joined SA Rugby’s High-Performance Department in August 2024 and soon transitioned into leading the Springbok Women’s coaching group during their preparation for the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup in England.
Under his guidance, the Springbok Women achieved their best-ever result at the global showpiece by reaching the quarterfinals, where they were defeated by the Black Ferns. The team also broke into the top 10 of the World Rugby rankings for the first time.
During De Bruin’s tenure, the Springbok Women recorded memorable victories over Japan, Italy and the USA, all of whom were ranked higher than South Africa at the time. They won 14 of the 21 matches played under his leadership, including fixtures against the Barbarians Women and the Black Ferns XV in Cape Town.
Alexander said De Bruin’s contributions significantly elevated the visibility of the Springbok Women and strengthened the profile of the women’s game in South Africa.
“Swys quickly endeared himself to fans and supporters of the women’s game, and that connection contributed to the growing support behind the Springbok Women. It also attracted greater corporate backing,” said Alexander.
He added that De Bruin’s innovative approach left a lasting imprint on the team’s identity.
“Our team developed a unique style of play and an unpredictability that captured massive attention. Who will forget the 14-player line-out or setting up a maul from a scrum in that quarterfinal against the Black Ferns.”
Alexander also acknowledged De Bruin’s impact in his original role as mentor to coaches within SA Rugby’s High-Performance structures.
“It was clear that he has the ability to convey his knowledge to players and coaches alike. That experience contributed meaningfully to the development of our current coaching group, who will continue to apply many of the principles and fundamentals introduced by Swys.”
He concluded with a personal tribute to De Bruin’s standing in South African rugby: “Swys is one of the leading coaches in our country, and we wish him well for the future. We respect his decision to move forward in his career and thank him sincerely for his contribution to the growth of women’s rugby.”
SA Rugby confirmed that Franzel September and Laurian Johannes-Haupt, who assisted De Bruin during his tenure, will step into the roles of co-head coaches for the remainder of the season.
The Springbok Women are preparing for Tests against Wales, Italy, Spain and Ireland in the WXV Global Series, with additional coaching support to be added where required.
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