Three high-profile South African coaches have all become free agents over the last week or so, opening up the possibility of some interesting moves in the weeks ahead.
Former Springbok coach Jake White will not be offered a contract extension at Montpellier and will thus give up his position there to current Scotland coach Vern Cotter. White is understood to have lost the backing of club owner Mohed Altrad, as well as local fans in the southern French city, with his low-risk style and propensity for contracting South African players getting many backs up.
Another coach with international experience, Alan Solomons, has resigned from his gig as head coach at Scottish club Edinburgh after a string of poor results. A former Scotland player, Duncan Hodge, will take over there, with little clarity over Solly’s next move. Also potentially looking for work is former WP coach and veteran of the local scene, Alan Zondagh. Zondagh has been working as Director of Rugby for the Boland Rugby Union for the past number of years, but has now resigned from that post, citing excessive interference from administrators.
It’s creates an interesting conundrum, since Zondagh operates his own academy in the region, which he allows Boland to use as their training base. It’s unclear as to whether this arrangement will continue, or whether Zondagh will seek a return to active coaching involvement outside of the winelands.
Plenty of coaching calibre on the table, it would seem, but as is usually the case in our game, lots of big ego’s to go along with that talent. It’s perhaps very naive to expect that any of these three would find some meaningful and collaborative way to work together with SA Rugby to improve the overall health of the game in South Africa.
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Ja Rob that’s way to much to ask!!!
Jake is bidding himself out of market. His premature exits from a few coaching jobs
@JustPlainSHARK (Comment 2) : think this one might be full term it’s just that Montpellier will not renew his contract.
Solomons and Zondagh are old friends and mentors of Gold,Sheet I hope not but a bad feeling in my gut says watch this space
@The hound (Comment 4) : I’d rather have RdP snr as Sharks coach. Rather appoint a new defence coach and a top sport psychologist!!!
@JD (Comment 5) : I’d rather have Kevin Putt than that lot.
@The hound (Comment 6) : hahaha now that’s a blast from the past!!! Would not mind a no 9 with his tenacity!!!
@JustPlainSHARK (Comment 2) : @JD (Comment 3) : Correct end of his contract is end of Euro 2017 season.
Now it would be interesting to throw those guys back into the local scene, along with Brendan Venter and Nick Mallett and then see how well our teams could do. I would see some of them more as Directors of Rugby, tasked with strengthening the Unions.
@StevieS (Comment 9) : unfortunately I still am to see where this whole DOR system actually works.
@The hound (Comment 4) : Noooooooo!!
@The hound (Comment 4) : Surely not…
@Uli Boelie (Comment 10) : I’m also not convinced that it works!?!?!
@JD (Comment 3) : Shit, Montpellier don’t shit
around then. If they already can confirm that Cotter will then take over after Euro 2017 season
@pastorshark (Comment 12) : Thats what I thought when I heard Gold was coming,Zondagh’s son is already here,
and here comes Solly.
In what capacity did Alan Zondagh work with the Kings in 2013? I can’t say much for his coaching as I’m not informed enough but his writing on SuperSport was pretty interesting and often thought provoking. Seemed to me like someone who had a deep understanding of the game.
Perhaps we should ask Jake to come back and work under RdP as a defence coach??? 😆
@JustPlainSHARK (Comment 14) : it happens when you pissoff your boss! 😉