Swys de Bruin appointed South Africa Women Rugby coach

Sports/ Rugby (Kumasi, Ghana) Aug 22 (Futball Surgery Sports)- Swys de Bruin believes the Springbok Women’s team needs to broaden their game if they are going to meet success on the world stage.

De Bruin, who has been appointed SA Rugby’s Performance Coach for the Springbok Women and SA U20, believes the team has a good base but that it needs to find different ways to break down the opposition.

“They can scrum. They are a good set piece team,” said De Bruin. “I’m busy looking at the team profile now because there are a few Sevens ladies joining as well. I want to take the emphasis away from being just a set play team to being more of a total team. I’m working on certain systems that will suit the team profile.

“I’m trying to get some alignment going so that we all see the game the same. Then work on the same fundamentals and principles. There is no shortage of talent here,” De Bruin insisted.

Early days as @WXVRugby prep starts, but the mood is GOOD! @fnbsa #BokWomen pic.twitter.com/vrsC0EtbRU

— SA Women's Rugby (@WomenBoks) August 22, 2024

De Bruin is determined to not only prepare the Springbok Women for a best-ever performance at next year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup in England, but to also deliver eye-catching performances at next month’s WXV 2 in Cape Town.

“They’ve soaked everything up,” said De Bruin about his first two days with the team in Gqeberha. “They have such learnable spirits. We are 12th in the world and we all want to do better.

“I’ve got great coaches around me. Franzel (September) and Laurian (September) Johannes-Haupt, have worked with the team over the last year or so and Bafana (Nhleko), who I coached with at the Lions U19 and U20. They (SA U20) just had a terrible campaign which is not only his fault because I know his quality as a coach,” said De Bruin about Nhleko who has been redeployed to the Springbok Women.

Elsewhere in the SA Rugby coaching shake-up former Sevens captain Kevin Foote has been appointed to the Junior Springbok team.

“We had to hit the ground running, so it is good that there are good foundations in place and there is no need to reinvent the wheel,” said De Bruin ahead of five matches over the next two months for the Springbok Women.

“I cannot wait to start their Rugby World Cup journey,” said De Bruin who has been involved with the Junior Springboks and Springboks.

“This is also an opportunity for me to live my other passion, being a performance lead to other coaches, something I have been involved with in the last five years.”

De Bruin also had to quit his role as television pundit. “I loved every second and I’m really thankful for the opportunity,” said De Bruin who proved a popular analyst on SuperSport. “But I’m a guy of seasons and an opportunity arrived at SA Rugby to be the Performance Coach under the Boks with the Women’s team and the U20s. I’ll be mainly working with the coaches.”

The Springbok Women team will play a warm-up match against the Barbarians Women on September 7 and a Test against Spain on September 19 before WXV 2, where they face Japan (September 27), Australia (October 5) and Italy (October 12).

Four uncapped players were named in the training squad of 44 who will attend a national training camp for the first time, while the rest of the group all featured in the last two seasons, as well as nine regulars from the Springbok Women’s Sevens team.

Springbok Women training squad:

Xoliswa Khuzwayo (Golden Lions), Aphiwe Ngwevu, Eloise Webb, Nombuyekezo Mdliki (all Border Ladies), Roseline Botes, Luchell Hanekom, Nolusindiso Booi, Shaunique Hess, Azisa Mkiva, Sinazo Mcatshuwa, Nomsa Mokwai (all Western Province), Mary Zulu, Tayla Kinsey, Amanda Ndlovu, Nobuhle Mjwara, Vanessa Holmes (all Sharks), Maceala Samboya, Felicia Jacobs, Chuma Qawe, Nompumelelo Mathe, Nomawethu Mabenge, Aseza Hele, Veroeshka Grain (all Boland Dames), Babalwa Latsha, Danelle Lochner (Harlequins), Catha Jacobs (Leicester Tigers), Lindelwa Gwala (Ealing Traifinders), Sinelitha Noxeke, Sizophila Solontsi, Byrhandre Dolf, Yonela Ngxingolo, Micke Gunter, Chumisa Qawe, Libbie Janse van Rensburg, Ayanda Malinga, Maria Tshiremba, Zintle Mpupha, Sanelisiwe Charlie, Jakkie Cilliers, Vainah Ubisi, Anathi Qolo, Unam Tose, Rumandi Potgieter (all Bulls Daisies), Nadine Roos (unattached).

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