Swys de Bruin reveals he resigned as Springbok Women coach long before public announcement

Swys de Bruin has confirmed he resigned as head coach of the Springbok Women long before his exit became public, rejecting suggestions that a dispute over unpaid bonuses prompted his departure ahead of Saturday’s Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry clash with the Black Ferns at FNB Stadium in Soweto.

Rumours of De Bruin’s exit surfaced earlier this week, with SA Rugby formally confirming the 66-year-old had left his post when the match-day 23 for the fixture was announced — conspicuously without his name attached.

“I sent my resignation to Dave Wessels [SA Rugby’s general manager of High Performance] a long time ago,” De Bruin told Rugby365. “The coaches were aware of my resignation, and I know they would’ve told the players. So, there were no secrets. I’m not one to keep secrets.”

De Bruin said he and SA Rugby president Mark Alexander had agreed to delay any public announcement until after the Black Ferns match. Reports linking his exit to allegedly outstanding bonus payments were flatly denied. “That information was new to me,” he said.

The coach described his two years in charge as “wonderful”, a tenure that included leading the Springbok Women to the knockout stages of a Rugby World Cup for the first time in the programme’s history.

With De Bruin gone, assistant coaches Laurian Johannes-Haupt and Franzel September have been appointed co-coaches for the fixture — and potentially beyond. The pair oversaw an unbeaten Rugby Africa Women’s Cup campaign this year and a two-Test series win against the Fijiana XV in Fiji, and are expected to lead South Africa in upcoming WXV Global Series matches against Wales, Italy, and Ireland.

De Bruin was emphatic in his backing for the duo. “I have so much confidence in those two coaches. They were unbeaten in Africa and went on to win a series in Fiji. They are great people and great coaches. Anyone who doesn’t believe me can come and watch how they coach.”

Saturday’s match will be only the third meeting between South Africa and New Zealand’s Black Ferns, taking place as a curtain-raiser to the men’s third Test in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry.