Swys de Bruin quits as Springbok Women head coach two days before Black Ferns clash

Swys de Bruin has resigned as head coach of the Springbok Women, SA Rugby confirmed, with the departure coming just two days before South Africa face New Zealand’s Black Ferns at FNB Stadium on Saturday. The announcement followed reports in South African media that De Bruin had left amid a dispute with the union.

Assistant coaches Laurian Johannes-Haupt and Franzel September have been appointed co-head coaches on an interim basis. The pair already have a strong record in charge of the squad, having guided South Africa to the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup title in Kenya earlier this year and a series whitewash of the Fijiana XV.

SA Rugby’s squad announcement confirmed the change without elaborating on the circumstances: “Laurian Johannes-Haupt and Franzel September, who led the team to success in Kenya and Fiji earlier this year, will continue to act as co-head coaches of the Springbok Women’s team following the decision by Swys de Bruin to step down from the role. No further comment will be made in the short-term to allow the team to focus on their match with New Zealand’s Black Ferns.”

Rugby365 has also reported that Junior Springboks assistant coach Melusi Mthethwa has been brought in to support the coaching staff for this weekend’s fixture.

De Bruin’s two years with the Springbok Women produced genuine progress. He joined initially as performance coach before taking the head coach role, and under his stewardship South Africa reached the quarter-finals of Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 — the first time the team had advanced that far in the competition. That quarter-final, played at Exeter’s Sandy Park, ended in a 46-17 defeat to New Zealand, though South Africa went into half-time level at 10-10.

Captain Babalwa Latsha, who scored the opening try in last year’s meeting between the two sides, will lead the Springboks on Saturday. Eleven players who started the World Cup quarter-final in Devon are included in this weekend’s starting XV, giving the squad a familiar look despite the upheaval in the coaching setup.