SA Rugby hail De Bruin as 'leading coach' after surprise Springbok Women resignation

SA Rugby President Mark Alexander has praised Swys de Bruin as one of the country’s leading coaches after the 66-year-old’s surprise resignation from the Springbok Women head coach role, announced last week in the build-up to South Africa’s Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry fixture against the Black Ferns at FNB Stadium in Soweto.

De Bruin joined SA Rugby’s high-performance department in August 2024 before stepping up to lead the national women’s side. In 21 Test matches at the helm, he won 14, overseeing victories against Japan, Italy and the USA Women’s Eagles. The highlight of his tenure was a run to the quarter-finals of Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 — a result that also helped South Africa break into the world’s top 10 women’s rugby nations for the first time.

“Swys is one of the leading coaches in our country and we wish him well for the future,” Alexander said. “We respect his decision to move forward in his career and thank him sincerely for his contribution to the growth of women’s rugby.”

Alexander also highlighted the tactical creativity De Bruin brought to the squad, pointing to moments such as a 14-player lineout and a scrum-to-maul set-piece during the World Cup quarter-final against the Black Ferns as evidence of the team’s growing ambition and unpredictability. He added that De Bruin’s connection with supporters helped attract greater corporate backing for the women’s programme.

With De Bruin’s departure confirmed, SA Rugby have turned to his former assistants Franzel September and Laurian Johannes-Haupt to take interim charge. The pair will lead the Springbok Women through their WXV Global Series campaign across September and October, which includes Test matches against Wales, Italy, Spain and Ireland in Europe and at home.