Super 15 franchise the Force, has released coach John Mitchell from the final year of his contract and the New Zealander will join the Golden Lions on a three-year contract. This was announced by Lions president Kevin de Klerk and CEO Manie Reyneke on Thursday. Mitchell, former All Black loose forward, has been with the Lions Absa Currie Cup side on a consultancy basis this season.
“Since John has been with us we have been most impressed with his ability across our entire coaching structure,” said De Klerk, himself a former Springbok lock.
“It has been no secret we wanted to engage him on a longer term basis, but we realised this was always going to be subject to the Force agreeing to an early release. “We are thankful and appreciative that the Force gave us the green light.
We are getting not only a man of high ethics who cherishes the history, culture and camaraderie of rugby, but who boasts an exceptional coaching pedigree at the very highest level,” added the former Springbok lock.
De Klerk said Lions coach Dick Muir, had been a part of and conversant with the process of contracting Mitchell. “Dick, who is obviously now involved with the Springboks, is still the director of rugby at the Lions with John as the head coach. “Muir was instrumental in helping us secure Mitchell’s services and will play a role in our plans going forward.” De Klerk said Mitchell would base himself in Johannesburg for the greater part of the year and be in charge of the Lions in both the Absa Currie Cup and the Vodacom Super 15.
Rugby WA (Western Australia) chairperson Geoff Stooke, said the Force and rugby in Western Australia owed a great deal to Mitchell who started with a blank sheet of paper on his arrival six years ago and built a strong foundation for long term success. Mitchell will be succeeded at the Force by Richard Graham, presently the Wallabies’ skills coach.
As coach of the All Blacks Mitchell tasted success against The Boks with a 100 percent record of seven wins in seven matches – including a 52-16 drubbing at Loftus Versfeld in 2003 – and a comprehensive 29-9 defeat in the quarter-final of the World Cup in Melbourne in 2003. He ended up with an All Black coaching record of 23 Test wins from 27 games – an 85% winning record, the highest of any All Black coach in the professional era. His vast coaching pedigree includes stints as Clive Woodward’s assistant with the England team from 1997 to 2000, the Waikato National Provincial Championship side, the Chiefs Super 12 side and most recently taking the difficult job of establishing the Western Force in the Super 14 and creating a rugby culture in Perth.
As a player Mitchell gained All Black colours on the 1993 tour to Great Britain. He was not capped but played in six victorious mid-week games; captaining the All Blacks on three occasions. In Waikato he was a legend, having played 134 times and captaining them a record 86 times, in a career highlighted by many other achievements. “When I took over as president of the Lions I said I was only interested in leading a province of winners,” concluded De Klerk. “The appointment of a coach of John Mitchell’s stature confirms that goal.”
Courtesy of sport24
Congrats to all our Lions supporters, now just get DM out of there, sell Ellispark if you need money to do that. You can now move on, good luck.
This is good news for the Lions. Hopefully the administration will stand by him and allow him to be radical in his thinking, the Lions need a shake up.
Things can only get better from here…good luck !!!
well done lions!!
this is very good news for sarugby indeed!!
..
now how about jmitchell for bok coach after 2011? 😉
#4
now watch the bb supporters be-kak themselves because i’ve either “forgotten about” and/or “did not consider” their beloved heineke meyer!! 😆
yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!
bring it on!!
😆
haait, wie will fight?
..
stiek yt julle banggoet!! 😀
#6
suppose om te wies … wie wil fight!!
@ Ashley: ok….(Bossie trek n streep in die stof met sy groottoon) …trap oor die lyn, dan sien jy n ding
@ Ashley:
Hulle het getry, maar hulle sal 2 Ellisparke moet verkoop om HM te bekostig. Die man is tuis by sy Bulle.
6 @ Ashley:
😯 Lees jy nie nuus nie, en nou wil jy ‘n fight pick met ‘n Blou Bul…
blouste @ 10
ek wietie of djy jokes daaroor moet makie
…
oompie
groothoofseer
is
deesdae
maar
baie
bedonnerd jong!!
bossie @ 8
jaai
moetie sukkelie
ek skop somma jou pc se screen stukken’ my broe
@ Ashley:11
😆
@ Ashley:ah djou bene is te kort man…ek het n hoe tafel
bos_otter @ 14
lmao 😆
@ Ashley:
Watse grap ?
Good news indeed for the Lions….
15@ Ashley:
Asblik, het jy my grap oor jou, Tight Head & Loosehead gelees op die “Divvie in Trouble” thread?
@ Ashley:bly om n smile uit jou uit te kry :handshake:
@ grootblousmile:
Neem aan dit was vir Ashley, maar ja ek het hom ook gelees…he he he 😆
New stadium, new coach, new player (Elton Jantjies, le Grange) new captain. And for the first time in almost 4 years, it all seems as though it could work. An overhaul is not new to the Lions. But lets be honest, I (as a WP supporter by birth) would NOT be surprised if the Lions puled one on us on Friday. Mithcell is a no nonsense, hard nosed, EXPERIENCED coach with an outstanding record, working professionally as coach in his 4th country, having worked with some of the best in the world in Woodward.
Add to that the fact that he was around when the game turned professional as a player (something the GLRU is sorely missing) and you could not find a better guys.
I would confess, I for one thought they should scrap the Lions as a serious franchise, give the SA 5th place to the Kings and move to Soweto. But with this FIRST GOOD LONG TERM INVESTMENT, the Lions seem set. And yes, it IS a good thing.
Competition breeds excellence breeds competition ect.
If the Lions could get back up on their feet, and we have the likes of Grikwas who could remain a threat, we arguably would have 6 teams in SA rugby that could upset and beat one another on any given day.
AWESOME!!!!!! Long live Rugby!
gbs @ 18
😆 het dit nou net gelees!!
22@ Ashley:
So, nou verstaan jy ook Common Sense….
#22
daai storie kan natuurlik nog ñ stertjie bykry soos
..
tighthead kry vir ashley so ñ paar dae na hy ytie hospitaal yt kô en vra hom of hy nou common sense ve’staan. ashley sê nee, hyt gedog hyt ve’staan, maa’ common sense het hom innie hospietaal lat beland. tighthead sug, en beslyt hy gat ma wee’ ve’dydelik, en aangesien tighthead naby ñ muur staan hou hy sy hand daa’tien ens ens ens 😉
24@ Ashley:
Ek wonner of Loosehead nou Common Sense verstaan… soos ek hom ken loop hy rond en vra mense om hulle hande voor hulle gesigte te sit…
gbs @ 25
of hy hou sy hand voor sy eie gesig
en
kla dan:
“vrystaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat, maa’ daai ene was seer!!”
Mitchell is proof that a good coach can bring the best out of players.
WP better watch out this week end!!
And ASH, common sense is “Old Spice”
Fantastic news this. Lions are already playing way better with Mitchell. Another few seasons with him Lions will be back up there.
Good luck Lions and their supporters. They have one of the best coaches in Mitchell.
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