I suppose this issue is so important to ALL SOUTH AFRICANS, that it is only just that we handle the Matter LIVE!
Herewith the announcement as it appeared live on TV in SA.
Oregan Hoskins announced the Coach, before that Jurie Roux, SARU CEO made some remarks.
It’s official, Heyneke Meyer IS the new Springbok coach!
The contract is for a term of 4 years.
According to Heyneke Meyer, the Bulls are supportive of his appointment.
Meyer says he’s hoping for every SA Rugby Franchise to work with him, in this whole process.
*********************
Herewith the Official SA Rugby Media Release:
Heyneke Meyer will be the new Springbok coach after a Special General Meeting of the South African Rugby Union (SARU) ratified his proposed appointment in Cape Town on Friday.
The 44-year-old Blue Bulls rugby executive takes over from Peter de Villiers, who coached the Springboks from 2008 to 2011. He will take charge as head coach of the 1995 and 2007 Rugby World Cup champions for the first time against England in Durban on June 9.
Meyer said he relished the opportunity to make all South Africans proud of the Springboks.
“Having been involved with the Blue Bulls for so long, I’ve experienced first hand how passionate South African rugby supporters are,” said Meyer. “I know the importance of rugby in the South African psyche and will do everything in my power to ensure the Springboks remain among the pace setters of world rugby.
“I’m very happy to accept this enormous honour and massive responsibility,” he said.
Meyer was head coach of the Vodacom Bulls when they became the first South African team to lift the coveted Vodacom Super 14 trophy in 2007. Before that, he steered the Vodacom Blue Bulls to Absa Currie Cup titles in 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2006 (shared).
Meyer also has experience of coaching in the Springbok environment. He served as assistant coach to both Nick Mallett and Harry Viljoen at the Boks. He has also been a Springbok coaching candidate in the past.
“The first time I felt I still had things to achieve at the Bulls, and the second time it was decided to appoint someone else,” he said. “I’d like to thank my family and the Blue Bulls Rugby Union for their unwavering support over the past decade. I hope to keep the country’s rugby supporters united behind the Boks.”
Mr Oregan Hoskins, President of SARU, said Meyer received unanimous support from the General and the Executive Councils of SARU.
“The Springboks are SARU’s top priority,” he said. “Heyneke’s coaching pedigree is second to none in South Africa. He will be an asset to the Boks and South African rugby in general,” said Mr Hoskins.
“I’d also like thank our outgoing coach Peter de Villiers for his passion, hard work and dedication over the past four years. However, it was felt that we needed a man with a new approach and new ideas to take over one of the toughest jobs in South African sport.
“Heyneke has our full support and we know he won’t leave any stone unturned as he strives to take the Boks back to the top of international rugby.”
According to Jurie Roux, SARU CEO, Meyer’s appointment was the culmination of a thorough process during which the best candidates were evaluated as part of a head hunting process before the Exco unanimously opted to make a formal offer to Meyer.
“The Blue Bulls wished to retain his services but his contract contains an exit clause which has been exercised; very few people can resist the call when your country says it needs you,” said Roux.
“The Springboks are the heartbeat of rugby in South Africa and it was paramount to get the best possible candidate to coach the team going forward. We believe we have done that.”
Roux said decisions on Meyer’s support staff will only be taken later, in consultation with the new Springbok coach. “No appointments in this regard have been made,” he said.
*********************
Heyneke Meyer Fact File:
Heyneke Meyer was the first South African coach to lift the Vodacom Super Rugby trophy and is one of the most successful coaches in local rugby in the professional era.
Meyer has been part of teams that have not only progressed to the knock-out stages of their various competitions, but also gone on to win them, ever since he started his provincial coaching career.
His first position as provincial head coach came at the age of 30 in 1998, at the SWD Eagles, and he immediately took the team to the semi-finals of the Vodacom Cup. A year later Meyer guided the Eagles to a top-four finish in the Absa Currie Cup.
Meyer reached his first final in 2001, leading the Vodacom Blue Bulls to the Vodacom Cup title, having already had a period as an assistant Springbok coach.
Three consecutive Absa Currie Cup crowns for the Vodacom Blue Bulls followed in 2002, 2003 and 2004. He also helped turn the Vodacom Bulls around from dwelling near the bottom of the Vodacom Super 12 log, to consecutive semi-finals in 2005 and 2006.
The first Vodacom Super Rugby title for a South African team followed in 2007, when Meyer masterminded the Vodacom Bulls’ victory over The Sharks in an epic final in what had become the Vodacom Super 14 in Durban.
This is not Meyer’s first stint with the Springboks, having been involved as assistant coach under Nick Mallett (1999 and 2001) as well as Harry Viljoen (2001).
Personal:
Date of birth: 6 October 1967
Age: 44
Place of birth: Nelspruit
Education: Bergvlam HS (Nelspruit), University of Pretoria
Degrees obtained: BA (Psychology, Geography and Human Movement Science), Hons BA (Geography), HED
Family: Married to Linda, three children
Coaching career:
• 1988-1996: Coached a number of High School first teams, Under-21 sides and Carlton first teams in Pretoria.
• 1997: SWD Eagles assistant coach
• 1998: SWD Eagles head coach (Vodacom Cup semi-finalists and Absa Currie Cup)
• 1998: Emerging Springboks head coach
• 1999: DHL Stormers assistant coach (semi-finalists in Vodacom Super 12)
• 1999: SWD Eagles head coach (semi-finalists in Absa Currie Cup)
• 1999: Springbok assistant coach (third place, Rugby World Cup)
• 2000: Vodacom Bulls head coach (Vodacom Super 12)
• 2001: Vodacom Blue Bulls head coach (Vodacom Cup champions)
• 2001: Springbok assistant coach
• 2002: Vodacom Bulls head coach (Vodacom Super 12), Vodacom Blue Bulls head coach (Absa Currie Cup champions)
• 2003: Vodacom Blue Bulls head coach (Absa Currie Cup champions)
• 2004: Vodacom Blue Bulls head coach (Absa Currie Cup champions)
• 2005: Vodacom Bulls head coach (Vodacom Super 12 semi-finalists), Vodacom Blue Bulls head coach (Absa Currie Cup runners up)
• 2006: Vodacom Bulls head coach (Vodacom Super 14 semi-finalists), Vodacom Blue Bulls head coach (Absa Currie Cup joint champions)
• 2007: Vodacom Bulls head coach (Vodacom Super 14 champions)
• 2008-2009: Leicester Tigers head coach
• 2011: Tuks Varsity Cup – Advisor
• 2011: Blue Bulls Company – Executive: Rugby
• 2012: Springbok head coach
Yo….whaddup dawgs?? Bly om Heyneke het die pos gekry. Beste vir hom en sy support span met die opbou van die bok span. Ek glo die man gaan die ding doen.
Congratulations Mr Meyer, certainly deserve to get the job its been a lot wait. Here’s wishing him all the best in the post hopefully will get to see his handy work with the Boks first hand in November.
77@ Pietman:Howzit Piet. Sorry to answer so late, but my posts are not going through. Could be the length of my posts as the short posts have gone through.
New Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer says he will take his time in deciding the new captain but added he will make the decision on merit.
Previous coach Peter de Villiers came under fire for continuing to select John Smit as captain while many critics believed Bismarck du Plessis was the better hooker.
“It’s a fine balance but I think your captain has to be chosen on merit,” Meyer told the Rapport newspaper.
“It also depends on what you want from a captain. I think it’s important that he conducts himself well with the media and carries out the right image towards the world.
“He needs to be strategic on the field, because I’m not there. He therefore has to be an extension of my personality and know exactly where on the field I would do what,” said Meyer.
@ superBul:
HM will be wise to wait a few months before he decides, its a new season and players sometimes have a bad season or a brilliant one. I would watch how things unfold before i choose my captain.
Schalk Burger migt be great but i think he plays with brute force only, i dont think he can change a game plan on field.
Bismark might just be in for another year of frustration to a point of leaving to play overseas. With political demands CR might just be in front of him again. Actually this is MY wild call/prediction, BduP will be behind another 2 players Ralepele and Maku. Now stone me , but somehow i have this gut feel.
Add to the captaincy potential of CR he might just be the 1st shock in the HM era.
I saw another interesting comment about a possible captain, hold your seats. Fourie du Preez. He is only 30 had a bad year with serious injuries and is by no means a spent force. I know everyone loves Hougaart , me too, but having them both in a team is always great.
OK now i better find a Non Bull player to talk about.
Juan Smith ??? Will this poor guy play top notch rugby ever again? If so he must be the player with the best chance to grab the Captaincy roll. But i really doubt his chances to play to his full potential.
Pierre Spies would be the least favorite player outside of Pretoria, i even dislike the fact that he is the Bulls captain. I would have gone for, 1 CR, 2 Dewalt Potgieter
Asked about his proposed style of play, Meyer said: ‘I believe there are two types of rugby – winning rugby and losing rugby.
I prefer the first. The way we play will differ from week to week. I won’t have a fixed playing pattern. I’ll look at our strengths and the weaknesses of the opponents and formulate a game plan accordingly.
There will be criticism at times [for perceived conservatism] but winning is what is most important.’
The issue of picking foreign-based players became a contentious one under De Villiers’ watch, but Meyer gave the impression that he was open to the idea.
This open the chances of great Springboks like Frans Steyn, FduP, Danie Roussouw and Gurthro Steenkamp, and others. All of them still the best in their respective positions.
‘I haven’t discussed it with the board, but I’ll do anything in my power to pick the best team,’ he said.
The Super Rugby season means Meyer will effectively have a week to prepare the Springboks for the first test against England in June. It will compromise their chances, and Meyer stressed that they would have to be innovative to circumvent that challenge.
‘It isn’t the ideal situation. Every franchise needs to work together. We can’t start coaching on the field a week before the England series. It has to start well before then, four or five months before,’ he said.
‘I’ve been a Super Rugby coach so I know their frustrations and challenges. But I’m confident we can have a healthy working relationship.’
Getting them to work with you Heynecke will be your biggest achievement, Good Luck.
Now for the appointment of assistants, i really hope he picks right. PdeV made the biggest mistakes right when he picked Dick Muir and Gary Gold. They can bring a great pair of coaches(HM and FL)down in no time.
It wont surprize me if Louden makes a comeback on HMs coaching staff. I would just stay far away from Disco Rassie if i am Heynecke. I just cant see how the 2 philosophies can work out.. Heynecke works on trust and belief and Rassie on trickery and deception.
With that in mind Pierre Spies is a genuine HM type of player. I wont be surprised if he is made captain. PS must just show his ability as captain in the Bulls team first.
Hope a SA team never get this
Four years ago, during an ugly series between these two teams in this country, Anil Kumble, India’s captain, evoked Bill Woodfull circa Bodyline, saying only one of the teams was playing cricket. The same could just as easily be said of this series.
In their own cocoon of denial, living in the past,
out-batted,
out-bowled,
out-fielded,
out-captained both on and off the field,
out-coached,
out-jibed by the hosts,
India didn’t really turn up.
SANZAR take a look at all of the confirmed 2012 Super Rugby pre-season fixtures that are already in full swing!
All fixtures are up to date as it stands, we will update this page as more information is revealed.
2012 Super Rugby pre-season matches (confirmed as of January 12, 2012)
January 21 Stormers v Boland @ Boland Rugby Stadium
January 27 Stormers v Lions @ Newlands
January 28 Cheetahs v Kings @ Port Elizabeth
January 31 Lions v Cheetahs @ Newlands
February 3 Rebels v Chiefs @ Simonds Stadium, Geelong, Crusaders v Highlanders @ Rugby Park, Greymouth
February 4 Bulls v Kings @ Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth, Western Force v Brumbies @ Austar Rugby Park, Darwin, Blues v Hurricanes @ Toll Stadium, Whangarei,
Stormers v Cheetahs @ DHL Newlands, Cape Town
February 10 Waratahs v Samoa @ Scully Park, Tamworth, Sharks v Boland @ Mr Price Kings Park, Durban,
February 11 Stormers v Kings @ Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Reds v Brumbies @ Barlow Park, Cairns, Highlanders v Chiefs @ Wakapitu Park, Queenstown,
Bulls v Cheetahs @ Peter Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane, Hurricanes v Crusaders @ Spuds Farm, Mangatainoka, Blues v Rebels @ AAMI Park, Melbourne
February 14 Lions v Kings @ Outenquia Park, George,
February 16 Western Force v Reds @ NIB Stadium, Perth, Brumbies v ACT xv @ Viking Park, Canberra
February 17 Blues v Highlanders @ Uni Tec, Auckland, Chiefs v Hurricanes @ Owen Delany Park, Taupo, Waratahs v Tonga @ Sydney Football Stadium,
Sharks v Kings @ Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth
February 18 Rebels v Crusaders @ AAMI Park, Melbourne
2012 Super Rugby round one
24 February
Blues v Crusaders @ Eden Park, Auckland
Brumbies v Force @ Canberra Stadium, Canberra
Bulls v Sharks @ Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
25 February
Chiefs v Highlanders @ Waikato Stadium, Hamilton
Waratahs v Reds @ ANZ Stadium, Sydney
Stormers v Hurricanes @ DHL Newlands, Cape Town
Lions v Cheetahs @ Coca-Cola Park, Johannesburg
I listened on Radio Jacaranda to a interview with HM right now. I only heard the last few minutes , he was in studio for the last hour. Like GBS always said he is a calm talker , he does not say things easily , a real politician. This will frustrate many journalists. He wont be so spectacular and entertaining as old Peter.
When asked by a caller what went wrong in the WC in NZ he said.
I was not there
I dont know the game plan they planned to play
So in fact he said nothing.
When asked if the players was to old he said
England in 2003 was 36 years average
Marlene Ottey and Carl Lewis was 36 and 34 respectively and was the best then.
What he said is it is not the age but the desire and heart of the player that will determine his performance and not his age.
On the warning that he will be in the fireing line he said
I already had some criticism and i have not even started yet.
He thrives on pressure and his hobby is fly fishing in the Drakensberg, something he did not have a chance to do lately at the Bulls.
102 @ superBul:
He’s no POLITITIAN, I never said so!
What I did say was that he chooses his words carefully, he is a good spokesman, he guards his mouth well!
During his 4 years he will have to become a good polititian, but that comes with the territory and for Heyneke it will be a breeze.
Snor was an aweful polititian, said the first thing which came to mind, was a terrible spokesman and did not guard his mouth at all.
@ grootblousmile:
Jy weet , jy moet my ook maar soos PdeV twee keer lees of luister. Ek het dit nou seker nie so gese nie maar ek bedoel HM praat soos n goeie politikus. Hy is versigtig oor wat hy se en hy trap nie sommer op tone nie.
Net JJ kan sy artikel met hierdie sin begin, magtie die man is seker die grootste Blou Bul ondersteuner. Hy is so in Peter se kraal, altyd in die spervuur met sy skrywes. :LOL:
Dit is slegs by die Bulls waar jy ’n afrigter wat al ’n Super-rugbyreeks gewen het, kan vervang met een wat dit al twee keer reggekry het, maar dan was dié noordelike span die afgelope dekade die nasionale pas-aangeër óp die veld ook.
Bulls sal praat oor Heyneke Meyer se ‘inkopielys’ vir Bok-bestuurslede
Met Heyneke Meyer wat die Springbok-afrigter geword het, sal Frans Ludeke (voorlopig net tydelik) die stoel van uitvoerende hoof: rugby beman, maar vir eers sal Loftus se B-veld eerder as dié kantoor die meeste van Ludeke sien.
Die uitvoerende hoof van die Blou Bulle Maatskappy (Edms) Bpk, Barend van Graan, het aan Sport24 bevestig dat Ludeke tydelik Meyer se pligte oorneem.
Ludeke is vir eers nie in Meyer se visier om hom op nasionale vlak by te staan nie, maar ander Bulls-bestuurslede soos Johann van Graan, Victor Matfield, Basil Carzis, Ian Schwartz en John McFarland is wel op die nuwe Bok-breier se “inkopielys”.
“Ons het dit reeds duidelik gestel dat dit nie in die Bulls se belang was om Heyneke af te staan nie, maar wys almal daarop dat ons wel ons steun aan hom toegesê het deur vir hom te stem op die Suid-Afrikaanse Rugbyunie (Saru) se vergadering,” het Van Graan gesê.
Hy erken Meyer se behoefte aan sekere Bulls-bestuurslede, maar het gesê hy hoop dié gesprekke kan opbouend en sinvol tot almal se tevredenheid afgehandel word.
A coach who had the guts to say something about other coaches. But then , GH CAN he was there , done it
– The All Blacks’ Rugby World Cup-winning coach Graham Henry has described England as “world champions at wasting talent” and as playing a game based on fear.
Henry guided New Zealand to victory last October in stark contrast to England who endured a miserable World Cup, crashing out in the quarter-finals with their campaign marred by a number of off-field incidents.
Henry believes England have good attacking players but questions whether they can ever fulfil their potential as long as they persist with their present approach.
He told therugbysite.com that England has top-drawer attacking players but they are seldom used.
“It sometimes seem that England are world champions at wasting talent.
“At national level and at club level English teams are far too worried about securing possession.
“No wonder England had trouble scoring tries against the better teams at the World Cup.”
He singled out Ben Foden, Chris Ashton and Delon Armitage as players who have impressed him but believes they may never reach their potential.
“A country with over a million players should be the best team in the world and England’s potential in the backs is as good as it has ever been.
“But how frustrated those players must get in a white shirt.
“England and the English clubs played a game based on fear and a generation of promising backs are dying on their feet.
“That has to change.”
For HM to get cooperation from the S15 coaches will be a miracle
i saw this comment elsewhere
Centrally contracted national team players is the answer. If the Boks picked a squad of players and paid their salaries, but lent them out to the provinces with the power to pull them from matches if they thought they needed resting, then the provinces would have more money to spend on the rest of their squads and player development etc. If a province was producing a lot of Boks, It would be rewarded. A Province like the Cheetahs would actually be able to hold onto a lot more players and could possibly compete with the others, as opposed to just feeding them.
Everyone forgets ou Snorre too quickly, here is some of his last wisdoms.
108@ superBul:I like the idea of centrally contracted players, and is the right way forward, but one thought comes to mind, which unions get the use of which players if they become centrally contracted to SARU? If it is the union that they came from, e.g. Spies comes from Blue Bulls, therefore SARU pay his salary, does he go back to BB if he is not needed? If so, other unions might complain that BB effectively have money to spend on other players, as they are saving on Spies, but then can use him for themselves when not on Bok duty, thus having a bigger and better playing pool for the same price – if you understand what I am trying to say!
I have one little bit of advice for Heyneke Meyer: Pierre Spies is shit, don’t pick him.
@ Just For Kicks:
I hear a lot of speculation about this, in all honesty i am not sure how it works in NZ. But that it is working is a fact.
At one stage i read that the 5 franchises in NZ sit around the table and each one gets a turn to pick a player, the decision who can pick first must be determined in some way. The team who picked first will have player 1, 6, 11….. until all the available players are allocated. Somehow it does not sound right, i will try and find out how they do it and come back.
The fact is they dont allow a team to have all the , eg. hookers, they must be spread to give them all play time.
@ Loosehead:
Lot of tears and frustration awaits you. PS is the front runner for Bok Captain.
113@ superBul:
AAAAAAAAAAA AARRRRRRRGGGG GGGGGGGGHHH HHHHHHHHH !!!!!!!!! I know!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@ superBul:
112
not sure if this will help but have a look.
http://www.nzrpa.co.nz/includes/files_cms/file/Contract%20Structure%20in%20NZ%20Web.pdf
http://www.nzrpa.co.nz/player_services/collective_agreement
114 @ Loosehead:
Loskoppie…. eishhhhhh… the LOOOONG words… cut them yourself boeta, you’re messing with the Mobile site!
112@ superBul:Yup, but I think the NZ unions are a lot more pro-active than here in SA, we tend to have more of the English Club mentality, where it is all about me. Imagine telling the Sharks that they can’t, for example have Bissy, and that the first union that puts up their hand can have him, or the Stormers can’t have Burger, because they put their hand up for Koster, say. It would be an interesting scenario. But yes, some sort of centrally contracted method has to be implemented in these days of professionalism.
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