Exclusive: Swys de Bruin Full of Praise for the Springbok Women and Siya Kolisi
Swys de Bruin lauds the Springbok Women's growth and praises Siya Kolisi’s inspiring role in their development, as they prepare for the 2025 Rugby World Cup.
Image Credits: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images/Getty Images
Since the appointment of former Springbok consultant Swys de Bruin as the Performance Coach for the Springbok Women late August this year. It has seen the side raise their performances with notable victories against the Barbarians and Japan.
"There has been plenty of growth, for me the biggest growth is the individuals that improved their position specific skill set. We constantly challenge the players. Coach Franzel [September] has been working with hookers, Bafana [Nhleko] with the individual work on defence and Laurian [Johannes-Haupt] with the scrums,” de Bruin told SportsBoom.com.
“What is important for me is the individual, just look at any Barbarian team and pick all the great individuals and let them play, you will still see quality if you understand what I'm saying."
Of course we got to be a team but the individual stuff has got to be better and that's what we are working hard on
Swys de Bruin
Impact of Springbok Captain Siya Kolisi on Women's Rugby
Springbok Captain Siya Kolisi has been a big advocate on the development of women's rugby globally. Currently the Springboks are on a break before the end of year tour. Siya has since been seen giving a helping hand to the Springbok Women's training sessions at Hamilton's Rugby Club in Cape Town.
"Siya is so special, a man of God. He is an unreal guy and I have so much respect for him. If I think of my days with the Springboks with Siya, it was the best memories. He comes here and does not charge us a cent, he spends hours and hours with the ladies. That's the kind of guy he is, trying to help them improve and give them ideas. When he is around, it’s like an injection of adrenaline for everyone."
At the game [vs Australia] he walked out with the captain on to the field. He is really a fantastic human being, I don't think he realises what he means to us.
Swys de Bruin
Transition as a coach from the Springboks to Springbok Women
"[laughs] You know I learn a lot being in this environment with the women. I mean I taught Handre Pollard, Willie le Roux and those guys, and with these ladies everything you tell them and show them, they soak it in. They want to learn more and their learning spirit is unreal. It's a very fulfilling job to coach women's rugby in the sense that they just want to learn."
"It just shows if they are willing to learn, they will go places. That is why the growth is there because they are coachable."
Potential of Springbok Women side leading to the World Cup
The performance of the side has been on an upward trajectory and with the Womens Rugby World Cup just approaching, it begs the question if the side can compete against the likes of England, New Zealand, Canada or France.
"Look if my dreams can come true, we can do that. But I got to be realistic, we are 11th in the world [World Rugby rankings]. If we can somehow make the top 8, the quarters in the World Cup anything can happen. I don't want to set the goals too far at this stage, we want to dream big but we have to do things step by step."
Plans heading into the 2025 Rugby World Cup
With the final fixture against Italy for the season, it would be the right time for the management to put goals and objectives in place to achieve a positive outcome in England next year.
"Our biggest plan at this stage is...we know what our strengths are. The biggest work on for this group is to improve the strength and conditioning of the players, to be faster, stronger and not so much the rugby part of it but the physical part of it.”
“That is why we are putting a concerted effort with the strength and conditioning coaches all over the country. If the girls go back to their franchises now, that they come back at the next testing which will be at the next camp, they must have improved their athletic ability."
Nathan has over a decade of knowledge and experience, both as a former professional sportsperson and journalist. Nathan, a former radio sports presenter and producer is an award-winning community radio sports producer/presenter.