Laurian Johannes, a former Springbok Women’s participant, has broken new ground with her appointment as coach of the Southern African Ladies Under-20 squad, which makes her the first female coach of a national group around the regional soccer scene.
Still another former Springbok Women’s participant, Natasha Hofmeester, will assume the function of the Southern African Women’s Beneath -20 staff director, while the initial Springbok Women’s captain, Nomsebenzi Tsotsobe, will fulfill the function as the Springbok Women’s team supervisor adjacent to Springbok Women’s trainer Stanley Raubenheimer.
SA Rugby supported these fittings on the management groups for its Southern African Women’s Beneath -20 and Springbok Women’s teams as they prepare to get a jam-packed global season, beginning with the Beneath -20 group’s two internationals against Zimbabwe in June.
Johannes is going to be aided by Hennie Pieterse and Adriaan Lameley, although the Springbok Women’s team will be directed by the trio of Raubenheimer, in addition to Lungisa Kama and Eddie Myners (assistant coaches).
Johannes and her management team will direct the South Africa Under-20 Women’s team against Zimbabwe at Harare on June 26 and 29 in what’s going to mark the first Women’s Under-20 internationals to the side-by-side decades.
The previous time that the SA Women’s Beneath -20 team faced international competition, was at the Nations Cup at 2013 from England, the USA, and Canada at London.
SA Rugby CEO Jurie Roux congratulated Johannes on her appointment as the first female coach of a national group in South Africa.
“That is a huge achievement for Laurian and also for South African American, and we wish her luck in this substantial part,” said Roux.
“The simple fact that Laurian played with the Springbok Women’s staff and engaged in the 2010 Women’s Rugby World Cup before learning the principles of training at Western Province makes this accomplishment even more purposeful. She’s come through the ranks, and I expect she’ll inspire additional former female gamers to input coaching and follow their dreams.
“The exact same is applicable for both Natasha and Nomsebenzi, who’ve played at the maximum level and understand what it takes to be successful.
“Over the past couple of years that our players and referees have left their own mark on the global stage, however the best thing about the game is that there are many more ways for our former players to utilize their experience to return to the match, and Natasha and Nomsebenzi are illustrations of this.
“A team supervisor plays a very important part in a facet’s victory in the field, and I think Natasha and Nomsebenzi’s understanding of what players want will set them in great stead in their functions.”
Roux included:”I want to congratulate the assistant coaches along with the rest of the management members on their appointments too. It’s a privilege to participate with any federal group, and that is a major season for women’s rugby in South Africa, so we want them all the very best of luck as they prepare for their games.”
Johannes first began training at Western Province at junior level at 2015, has served as the Western Province Under-18 Women’s trainer since 2017 and said she was thrilled about her appointment.
“It is a wonderful opportunity to be able to coach at this level, and it’s an absolute honor to be the first girl to achieve this in South African rugby,” said Johannes.
“When I retired from rugby as a player, my aim was to enter training with the long term vision of getting the Springbok Women’s trainer daily, so I’m thrilled to get this chance. It’s surely a step in the ideal direction.”
Commenting on the games against Zimbabwe at a little more than a month, she explained:”I had the chance to work together with the players temporarily and they realise they’re working toward something large. However, this chance is all about more than that.
“These players will feed into the senior national side within the upcoming few decades, so this opportunity to develop their abilities and face global resistance is essential in their own development as players.”
The Springbok Women will kick off their season with a massive mission in August if they choose into the field from the Women’s Cup at Gauteng, which will function as 2021 Women’s Rugby World Cup Qualifier.
The championship, which is hosted in the Bosman Stadium at Brakpan, will comprise three rounds of games involving the Springbok Women, Kenya, Madagascar and Uganda. Each side will confront one another after, with the best team on the standings at the close of the contest qualifying automatically for the Women’s Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.
Raubenheimer’s staff will line up from Uganda in their opening game on Women’s Day, August 9, prior to shooting on Madagascar on August 13, and Kenya on August 17.
These games will be followed with a ground-breaking excursion of their Spanish Women’s group to South Africa in September, in which they’ll confront an SA Invitation XV (September 14), along with Eastern Province XV (September 17) in friendly games, before lining up from the Springbok Women at a fully-fledged global on September 21, at Nelson Mandela Bay.
Raubenheimer’s prices will subsequently meet Scotland in 2 Tests in the City Park Sports Grounds at Athlone, Cape Town, on September 30, and October 5, and this will see them perform three internationals in fourteen days.
SA National Women’s U20 management staff:
Coach: Laurian Johannes
Assistant coaches: Hennie Pieterse, Adriaan Lameley
Team Doctor: Dr Darren Green
Physiotherapist: Nontobeko Nyalunga
Conditioning Coach: Sisonke Makapela
Team Manager: Natasha Hofmeester
Springbok Women’s management staff:
Coach: Stanley Raubenheimer
Assistant coaches: Lungisa Kama, Eddie Myners
Team Doctor: Dr. Moshe Mageti
Physiotherapist: Nontobeko Nyalunga
Technical Analyst: Bahle Juuku
Team Manager: Nomsebenzi Tsotsobe
In partnership with ANA and Mediapix
You must be logged in to post a comment Login