De Bruin eager to steer Bok Women to new heights

Swys 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.

SA Rugby confirmed De Bruin’s appointment as Performance Coach for the Springbok Women on Wednesday and the experienced coach already got stuck in early, with a first WXV 2 training camp in Gqeberha.

“It is great to be back with SA Rugby after being involved in with the Junior Springboks and Springboks in the past and I cannot wait to start their Rugby World Cup journey with the Springbok Women,” said De Bruin.

“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 was impressed with the input received from his coaching staff – Laurian Johannes-Haupt, Bafana Nhleko and Franzel September – as they started to prepare for WXV 2 and the Women’s RWC.

“We are playing five matches in the next two months, and we had to hit the ground running, so it is good that there are good foundations in place and there is no need to re-invent the wheel,” De Bruin said.

“I was impressed by what I heard from Franzel and Laurian in our first week together, while my relationship with Bafana started a long time ago at the Lions, where he won national titles at age group level and I know we will all work well together, as was clear after our first couple of days in camp.”

The camp in Gqeberha aims to align rugby strategies and game plans with their newly appointed coaching staff, spearheaded by De Bruin.

De Bruin, Nhleko (defence), September (lineouts) and Johannes-Haupt (scrums) have started working in earnest to mould the Springbok Women into a competitive outfit for their immediate task ahead – a warm-up match against the Barbarians Women on 7 September and a Test match against Spain on 19 September – before WXV 2, where they face Japan (27 September), Australia (5 October) and Italy (12 October).

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.

Nombuyekezo Mdliki (Border) and the Sharks trio of Amanda Ndlovu, Nobuhle Mjwara and Vanessa Holmes were called up after impressing the coaching staff during the recently completed Women’s Premier Division.

The camp concludes next Friday. A squad of 36 players will then travel to Cape Town to fine-tune their preparations for the Barbarians match.

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 DHL 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 Sanlam 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).