RUGBY: Bok Women’s head coach steps down on eve of Black Ferns Test

A key figure will be missing from the Springbok Women’s camp when they take on the Black Ferns in a historic once-off Test at FNB Stadium on the outskirts of Soweto on Saturday, 5 September. 

South African Rugby (Saru) confirmed on 3 September that Swys de Bruin had resigned as head coach, with assistant coaches Laurian Johannes-Haupt and Franzel September stepping in as co-head coaches for the clash. 

Saru declined to comment further on the matter.

De Bruin did not travel with the team this week and was absent from Tuesday’s training session. He was also absent when the team toured in Kenya and Fiji, where Johannes-Haupt and September were at the helm.

While the resignation has created an unwelcome distraction ahead of one of the team’s toughest challenges this year, it is understood that the atmosphere within the camp remains positive and focused on the task at hand.

Resignation cloud

According to Rapport, De Bruin’s resignation stems from a disagreement with Saru over win bonuses relating to the Fiji and Kenya tours. Although he was not present on the tours, De Bruin maintained that he was entitled to the bonuses, the report stated.  

Saturday’s historic clash between the Springbok Women and the Black Ferns – marking the New Zealand side’s first-ever Test in South Africa – is the curtain-raiser for the Springboks and All Blacks’ third Test in the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series.

The match offers the Bok Women a crucial benchmark for their development, though it remains to be seen whether the sudden absence of their head coach will affect their performance.

Building on World Cup momentum

It was under De Bruin’s guidance that the Springbok Women reached the knockout stages of the 2025 Rugby World Cup in England – a historic first.

While the Green Machine were beaten 46-17 by the Black Ferns in the quarterfinals, the spirited performance showed they are a force to be reckoned with. 

Black Ferns co-captain Ruahei Demant admitted this week that South Africa had caught New Zealand off guard in that encounter with creative set-pieces, which included 15-person lineouts and mauls launched off scrums.

“When we came up against a team like South Africa [in the 2025 World Cup], the thing that stood out to me was everything that they threw at us in that game was completely unexpected,” said Demant on the Black Ferns Instagram page. 

Many in the Springbok Women’s setup credit that dynamism to De Bruin. 

In the first half of that quarterfinal, skipper Babalwa Latsha set South African hearts soaring when she opened the scoring in the 20th minute with a try, keeping the Black Ferns, who have a habit of scoring within the first five minutes, at bay. 

At half-time, the scores were level at 10-10 before New Zealand pulled away.

Springbok centre Zintle Mpupha, who featured in that game, said the match demonstrated that they could compete with the best in the world.

She said that while the squad would draw confidence from that game, “This week, for us, was about focusing on ourselves and just fine-tuning our strong points, which is physicality, as we all know. And just working on ourselves to counter whatever [the Black Ferns] bring on Saturday.”

While SA will aim to maintain their physical presence and execute their set-pieces, they have also spent time preparing for New Zealand’s expansive attacking game. 

“We are looking to kill them at source,” said hooker Lindelwa Gwala. “We know that they will be wanting to move the ball around, get us running.  

“So, we were doing the running to make sure that we prepared for that and make sure that we are actually closing them on the outside because that is where they’re looking to attack.” 

An experienced line-up

Latsha is one of eight players in the matchday squad who featured against the Black Ferns almost a year ago and will be looking to draw on that experience.

South Africa’s toughest opponent, however, may ultimately be themselves. While the Springbok Women have proven they can match any team physically, recurring handling errors and poor discipline continue to undermine their efforts.

During July’s two-Test series against the USA Eagles, SA came out strong, winning the opening encounter before letting a potential clean sweep slip away.

They conceded 21 penalties compared to the Eagles’ 12 in the second Test and struggled to maintain control for extended periods.

Similar issues surfaced during the Fiji series a month later, where handling mistakes and breakdown penalties disrupted flow. 

“Handling errors are something the coaches have actually touched on,” said Gwala. “Even in our Test match against Fiji, we had quite a few of those, and that is something that we’re actually looking to fix.”

She added that the USA’s success in the second Test had stemmed from a deep analysis of the previous game and their subsequent ability to apply pressure to SA’s key ball carriers.

“Of course, you want to be more clinical under pressure, but that’s the whole aim of putting pressure on a team – it forces mistakes,” she said. “That is something that we are looking to fix on the weekend, and we’re doing it every day here at training.” 

Despite media attention surrounding De Bruin’s departure, it is business as usual for the Springbok Women as they prepare for what will surely be a thrilling encounter. Kick-off is at 1.30pm. DM