Treu: BlitzBokke in good hands

 

Treu recently left the world of Sevens rugby behind him when he joined up with Western Province in a defensive coaching capacity.

 

However, still well regarded in the world of Sevens, Treu is backing current BlitzBokke coach Powell to take his charges to World Series glory and further.

 

"I made a speech at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University and I said then, Neil Powell is going to do well as a coach," Treu told rugby365.

 

"He came through the system, he was with me when we won the first Sevens tournament in 2002 where I was the captain in Wellington."

 

Treu believes that the stability and sustainability are key to the success of the current Sevens team, with a number of familiar faces showing up again from the early days.

 

"Doctor Jannie Botha was the sports psychologist at the time [in 2002] and Chester [Williams] was the coach and they have all been reunited now as a team," Powell added.

 

Treu is confident in the pedigree of the current stock of players believing that they will continue to succeed with the model of coaching that is in place.

 

"There is no doubt that the team is going to go all the way and win the series," he said.

 

"Springbok Sevens is in good hands with Marius Schoeman heading up the academy, Powell with the first team and the conditioning staff are still there.

 

"That team is only going to go from strength to strength, they have a lot of confidence from the past two tournaments, with a Commonwealth Gold Medal, heading into Olympic qualifications.

 

"That is the kind of sustainability that we have always worked towards, it is incredible to see those guys keeping it up, tournament after tournament."

 

Treu's last appointment at Kenyan Sevens ended some what rapidly as he announced he would be departing the team inbetween the Dubai and Port Elizabeth tournaments earlier this month.

 

Although it may have been a tumultuous time, the WP coach believes it made him a stronger leadership.

 

"In Kenya, it was always going to be a challenge coaching there," he added.

 

"What was good about Kenya is that I had to adapt to a new culture, a new language, a new methodology and I think it really helped me a lot within my own personal leadership. 

 

"It shifted me in a lot of ways and I had to come up with new ideas to either coach old things or to even come up with new methods.

 

"I was taken out of my comfort zone completely, I had been in a set up so long with SA Rugby, I think some times you take it for granted.