Gary Gold has requested to be released from his contract with the Sharks to pursue other opportunities, and the Sharks have granted him his request.
In what comes as a bit of shocking news, Gary Gold is no longer Director of Rugby at the Sharks. His request to be released to pursue other opportunites has been granted, and we here at Sharksworld wish him all the best in his new opportunity.
We can only speculate as to what exactly has gone on behind the scenes, but what this does confirm is that Robert du Preez will be in charge of the Sharks for Super Rugby 2017.
Below is the full release from the Sharks:
Durban, 27th October 2016: Following two years at the helm of the Cell C Sharks, Gary Gold has requested the opportunity to pursue another potentially exciting avenue in his rugby career.
Gary Teichmann, The Sharks CEO, stated: “We respect Gary’s decision to move closer to home to pursue this opportunity and we thank him for his positive contribution and efforts during a period of transition with The Sharks. During this time there have been some Sharks stalwarts who moved on while a young and exciting squad has been assembled, opening up a new phase in our history.”
“In his role as Director of Rugby, there were many systems implemented that will aid our growth in the coming years. I would like to take this opportunity to wish him and his family the very best moving forward.”
Gold said: “I have had an unbelievably enjoyable two years in Durban, with many highs and a few lows. There is an exciting group of youngsters that are currently in the system, who have great futures ahead of them.”
“I look forward to the next challenge in my career and I would like to thank everyone at The Sharks for the great memories and the wonderful opportunity I was given to be at the helm of a fantastic team, the Cell C Sharks.”
Teichmann also announced that former Natal and Springbok scrumhalf and current Cell C Sharks Currie Cup Head Coach, Robert du Preez, will take charge of the Cell C Sharks 2017 Super Rugby campaign.
“Robert is a true son of KZN and is a passionate Sharks man. Having played here, he understands the culture we want to create and our vision moving forward”, added Teichmann.
“We extend our best wishes to Robert and his coaching team as they commence their pre-season training programme on Monday, ahead of the start of next year’s tournament.”
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Some good news.
I was not happy when he was appointed but willing to see what he can do.
Not sad to see him go.
Well that eases the salary burden a bit. Let’s see what Rob can do!
Although definitely not a fan favourite i did like that he was now apparently going to start doing the behind the scenes work of a Director of Rugby. I still feel that role is needed at the Sharks as Rob DuPreez needs to focus on the on-field activities of the super rugby side and players and not worry about the behind the scenes stuff and all the other levels. Well done to Rob DuPreez, think it is well deserved. Now will be interesting to see what happens with the others…Everitt, Strudwick, Loubsher etc
@SheldonK (Comment 4) : DoR is a over rated role in my opinion.
Robert is a true son of KZN and is a passionate Sharks man. Having played here, he understands the culture we want to create and our vision moving forward”,
This is exactly what Gold was not and why he was a failure from the get go.
Now lets move on.
@Uli Boelie (Comment 5) : Perhaps…depending on what you see the role as being. With the union a bit cash strapped i do see how it is perhaps a luxury currently. But i still think it is needed..even if its not called DOR.
Yeehaa!!!
I wonder if we can get dick muir back and he can be director of rugby
@Poisy (Comment 9) : He has just been appointed DOR at Crusaders Club in Durban north with Ronnie Uys as Head Coach
@Uli Boelie (Comment 5) : ive always said its a nonsense luxury. Looks like Gary agrees
Now please appoint a pro. We need a solid team or we’ll fail miserably.
Please appoint a pro. We need a solid team or we’ll fail miserably
@SheldonK (Comment 4) : I agree. We need a pro DOR to cement a solid team.
@SheldonK (Comment 10) : that’s pretty cool
Pushed or jumped?
@KILLER SHARK (Comment 14) : @KILLER SHARK (Comment 14) : I just feel there needs to be someone behind the scenes ensuring all the coaches are implementing the same plan as outlined by RDP. Someone ensuring coaches are adequately contracted and hitting performance indicators. Someone ensuring that coaching sessions are of a high enough quality, players are adequately contracted and hitting performance indicators. Basically someone who can just let the coaches coach on the field and he takes care of off field matters and provides resources to the coach. But yeh as i said , perhaps in this cashflow situation currently its perhaps a luxury
Maybe a DOR role at unions will become void once the new structures proposed at the rugby indaba get implemented.
@Poisy (Comment 15) : Yeh very good for that club. Ronnie Uys is a very under rated coach. Same as Shaun Erasmus was
Not overly disappointed about this news. I like Rob du Preez as a coach. Now please bring Rob jnr as a solid backup for Lambie next season.
@Poisy (Comment 9) : sorry but in my opinion DM was only successful due to Chris Boyd and Plum. Since leaving the Sharks he has never really shown any success again.
@SheldonK (Comment 17) : How bad are our financials currently? It can’t be worse than WP’s?
@Quintin (Comment 22) : I dont think they are bad bad but i think they are trying to steadily improve them from a bad position so think splashing cash on non essentials wont be part of the plan. So yeh its pretty much a case of not wanting to take 2 steps forward and 3 back. Not having a Super rugby or CC playoff game in last 2years doesnt help the finances although the All Black test did help
Good luck for the future and with your new opportunities GG!!!
@Uli Boelie (Comment 21) : perhaps a case of sum of the parts,maybe here he had all the ingredients to make a success of it, it john smits book he does say plum made DM calm down from the notion of attack at all costs in a way partly proving your opinion, the leader doesn’t have to be the best but be able to bring out the best in everyone for the good of the team, I think DM did that for the sharks
All the best to Gary Gold, he tried his best but perhaps the Sharks was a problem he just couldn’t fix. I hope Rob can get more out of our guys and bring some more respectability to our next campaign. I’m not asking for a trophy, but I am looking for a team who will go down fighting to try to get it. Hope the losses from this CC season are lessons the guys have absorbed.
Now on a different note:
From those more in the know, what did Grant Bashford bring to the Sharks when he was an assistant. Always felt like he was “let go” because we were cleaning out the Plumtree cupboard. When Plumtree was in charge our forwards were very good, wasn’t Bashford the guy who worked with our forwards?
I hope they don’t make Robert the DOR or the Currie Cup coach, he needs to be 100% focused on the Super rugby team,this DOR position eat up the coaches time , Its a position for a retired coach like Graham Henry,Ian Mac or Wynand Claassens
Lets hope that the business of rugby is the order of the day, and the new structures focus on developing the young players in their ranks. It would be great to see the a mature approach to the management of players and the eradication of any personal agendas. There are many gifted U21 Louw, Steph Dutoit, Schram, etc. that now need to be blooded. I support a mature approach to player management and motivation in this multi cultural environment we find ourselves in. All this change, White, Plumtree, Venter, Mcleod Henderson, Gold and now Du preez in such a short space of time, its going to take a real business approach to sort this out. The employer needs to look after its best resource, the employees and the rest will come naturally.
@The hound (Comment 27) : I feel that we need our top coach to be with our squad at all times at the moment, so keep him head coach for CC. It’s not like we are losing 8 players to the Boks and therefore he’s working with teh B team at CC. We’re losing 2 or 3, so he’s got the A- team. Totally agree about his DOR duties.
@The hound (Comment 27) : I think RDP needs to be Super rugby and CC coach…lets get some continuity going in those areas. But i do agreed that he needs to stick to on field coaching and responsibilities. Who do you think a good “DOR’ would be? Assuming the role is as i said above…I just feel there needs to be someone behind the scenes ensuring all the coaches are implementing the same plan as outlined by RDP. Someone ensuring coaches are adequately contracted and hitting performance indicators. Someone ensuring that coaching sessions are of a high enough quality, players are adequately contracted and hitting performance indicators. Basically someone who can just let the coaches coach on the field and he takes care of off field matters and provides resources to the coach.
@Uli Boelie (Comment 21) : he never worked with Chris Boyd. Opinions are only valuable if they’re not based on misinformation
@Hulk (Comment 26) : no, he wasn’t. Bashford was backline coach,
@robdylan (Comment 31) : Oh really then why was Chris Boyd Sharks Assistant Coach during 2006, 2007 and 2008? Or rather what did Chris Boyd do during that time if he never worked with him? or should I be asking what did DM do during the time Boyd was assistant coach?
@The hound (Comment 27) : So we don’t need a DOR at the moment, could we say that they should ‘Hold the DOR’ on that position ?
@Uli Boelie (Comment 33) : Plumtree brought Boyd in as assistant coach after Muir left.
@robdylan (Comment 35) : Oh is it, then why was he employed by Sharks since 2006? When DM only left after 2007?
@Quintin (Comment 34) : Hold the DOR! Hol d dor! Holddor! Hoddor!
I guess we now know why Gold was at Newlands at the same time as the Sharks played Lions in the final CC round game.
@Uli Boelie (Comment 36) : What are you basing that on? Boyd joined the Sharks in 2009.
http://www.sharksworld.co.za/2008/09/23/sharks-bring-another-kiwi-coach-on-board/
@robdylan (Comment 39) : his wiki page says 2006 to 2008.
If its wrong then my apologies
@robdylan (Comment 32) : I thought Reece was the backline coach.
@The hound (Comment 41) : they played musical chairs.
Plumtree had a number of different assistants during his tenure, but the one constant theme was that he always coached the forwards himself.
@robdylan (Comment 42) : Plum was and still is a good forwards coach. Think he is better suited to that than a head coach role.
@robdylan (Comment 42) : Always understood Bashy to be Reece’s assistant,wel that was the general impression.
Reece was a remarkable sportsman, great cricketer and still holds the world record for the longest drop goal in a test.
Does anyone know where he is.
@The hound (Comment 44) : Reece coaches Rustenberg Impala club- they playing in the final of the Gold Cup this weekend
@Uli Boelie (Comment 40) : for a long time, Victor Matfield’s wikipedia page said that he had a Maori grandmother.
@SheldonK (Comment 45) : thanks mate for some reason I thought he was in JAPAN
@robdylan (Comment 46) : You mean he hasn’t
@robdylan (Comment 46) :
HAHAHA! Got to be super careful of those wiki references hey..
@SheldonK (Comment 43) : damn right
@Another Nick (Comment 49) : I even know who made that edit
@The hound (Comment 47) : He has done very well with that club. They are bladdy tough to beat. I think the game this weekend is televised if you get a chance to watch
@robdylan (Comment 51) : Really?! Haha! I think that’s brilliant. Hats off to you sir.. whoever you may be.
We are over post 50 on this subject and not one person has expressed a regret at the passing of our glorious coach,
Can’t remember the last time that a senior Shark’s coach’s demise inspired such indifference, hell even Putt’s exit elicited a better response.
@The hound (Comment 54) : I think a lot has to do with Gold being very much in the background since the last Sharks super rugby game…some probably forgot he was there still
Well ive never ever, Christmas came very early this year
@SheldonK (Comment 55) : no its got to do with the fact that he should never have been allowed near the Sharks
@SheldonK (Comment 55) : or heres a question Sheldon,do you believe in the power of thought and the combining thereof from a lot of people,cause here is a good case that it truly exists
@benji (Comment 58) : Interesting angle that…not sure the outcome is a direct result of that thinking but more so a chain of events but its an interesting argument put forward.
@robdylan (Comment 46) : @The hound (Comment 48) : well if Wiki said it it must be true
It is one thing to get rid of everyone that John Smit appointed, but what about the persons that appointed John Smit.
Are they still there?
@fyndraai (Comment 61) : That would be the same people that appointed Teichman…so yes
Not sure this is a good thing. Surely we need some continuity rather than more revolving doors at HQ?
I’m on a rugby sabbatical at the moment and haven’t seen any reason to end it yet.
That said, I’m happy about RdP and wish him all the very best.
@Big Fish (Comment 63) : Agreed on all points (including the sabbatical)
Good stuff! Thanks Mr Gold. All the best. Can we now start to get some news with regards to the players and additions to coaching personnel please.
@GreatSharksays (Comment 65) : Horak in charge of recruitment and Paul Anthony CC Qualifying Head Coach – besides that, all I know is that Jacque Vermeulen is coming, apparently Rikus Bothma has two broken legs, so no go there.
@Vonno13 (Comment 66) : Johan Deysel also coming apparently. And Kobus Van Wyk on rumour?
I just really want to know one thing…without Gold, who is going to supply us with the obligatory “the team has character” quote?
@SheldonK (Comment 67) : I think Deysel was always coming, Du Preez has coached him for some time, to be honest, if the Sharks are wanting to play an open running game, I am not sure if he is the man. Van Wyk I have heard about, not sure about him, would not say he is a world beater, but I guess he will add stock to our wings.
@Vonno13 (Comment 69) : I think Deysel could be good backup to Esterhuizen. I rate Deysel to be honest, not rate as in he is the best in the world…just think ive liked what ive seen and think there is very good potential. Undecided on Van Wyk…
Van Wyk is good. Would just like an announcement from the Sharks. What could they be waiting for? Hopefully we’ll get one before preseason starts which is this coming Monday.
@GreatSharksays (Comment 65) : monday
Wow. Things always at some extreme with the sharks. Either nothing happens when it should or everything happens at lightning speeds….has anyone ever served their full notice period at the sharks?
So how many years running now have had major coaching changes at the end of the year?
@robdylan (Comment 72) : So what happened to the rumour of the frenchie?
@coolfusion (Comment 74) : if I hear the word “rebuilding” next year I think I will die
@robdylan (Comment 72) : Thanks
Haven’t heard that Robert du Preez has extended his contract with WP. Am I reading too much into that?
@Big Fish (Comment 63) : @vanmartin (Comment 64) : Same here…with me it’s for work reasons (read: it’s hectic) rather than any mini-protests or something more fundamental…but same here…
Go well, Gary. All the best, Rob!
@robdylan (Comment 32) : Thought Hugh Reece Edwards controlled the backs.
@West Indies Cricket Board (Comment 76) : I’d advise you to get your casket shopping done sooner rather than later
@vanmartin (Comment 82) : ja lets face it
Cheers Gary. Pity we never got to see what he could do in the role he was employed to fill.
@West Indies Cricket Board (Comment 76) :
If not from the Sharks then the Boks are sure to keep you doctor interested in you.
@West Indies Cricket Board (Comment 76) : @vanmartin (Comment 82) : @Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 85) : hahaha Sharks will fo sure be rebuilding next year!!!