The vastly-experienced Gert Smal will join Western Province Rugby as the new Director of Rugby, with effect from April 1, 2014.
WP Media Release
Smal, a former two-times Absa Currie Cup-winning coach with DHL Western Province, will return to the Cape after some time away, having served as the Springbok assistant coach between 2003 and 2007 and holding down the same role with the Ireland national team from 2008 to 2013.
During his time with the Springboks, Smal helped the Men in Green & Gold to a Tri-Nations title in 2004 and a World Cup triumph in 2007. As part of the Ireland coaching set-up, Smal played an integral part in their 2009 Six Nations, Grand Slam and Triple Crown triumphs, whilst he also helped mastermind a 15-10 win over the Boks in Dublin later that year.
Smal’s role at WP Rugby will see him head up rugby matters across the union, with the senior professional coaches, junior professional coaches and WP Rugby Institute management team all reporting in to him.
He will be based at the WP Rugby High Performance Centre in Bellville, helping with the ethos and strategy of WP Rugby’s teams and being responsible for the contracting and recruitment throughout the union – from the junior ranks right through to the senior ranks.
A crucial part of Smal’s job will also see him manage the process of the junior players taking the step up into fully-fledged senior professionals – all of which is geared towards ensuring that WP Rugby remains a leading brand with its teams continuing to push for trophies and players continuing to earn national colours.
Smal is well known to everyone at WP Rugby, as a player and a coach. His role is not a hands-on coaching one, but a position that will encompass the strategic rugby role from the junior teams straight through to the senior professional outfits.
So, no exciting news… just that Gert Smal is appointed as DOR at WP.
Unless…. there is more to come….
Good news in the long term but no changes to the Stormers coaching line up, or supporting staff, which is a crying shame.
@ grootblousmile:
That’s about it, or so it seemed at this stage
He will have no more authority than Rassi or Mallett who have been in that position before.
Speculations on AC faith are exaggerated 🙂
Devastatingly disappointing actually… the worst possible scenario IMO…
Now we’re going to have a clash of cultures between Gert trying to implement his vision across the board and Allister desperately hanging onto his own vision or just being absolutely incapable of implementing Gert’s.
So it will become about personal agendas all over again… and the rugby will come second…
And everyone will lose… the players, the union, the coaches and the fans… truly a lose/lose situation…
Pretty damn depressing actually… They have not taken the bull by the horns and been decisive in their decision making… and have tried to get Gert in while trying to appease AC…
Thelo says Gert is not a magician… but he’s expecting him to perform a miracle…
Doing it this way is going to put undue pressure on the whole set up so Gert is going to have to be a magician to be able to pull a successful cat of this madhatters box…
Instead of a clear vision for the future… we’re gonna get bogged down in muddy water…
Damn depressing…
what they failed to say is that he (smal) will still be dancing to the tune of those who have nothing but their own interest at heart!!
ufo @ 5
exactly what I’m feeling … just bloody depressed!! no signof any change (for the good of wprugby) at all!!
@ Ashley:
yeah bud… what a wasted opportunity…
but i guess we should have expected this… at wp nothing is ever straight forward…
some sharks fans criticised john smit’s dirty harry approach… and felt it was unfair on the ‘victims’… but look at them now… damn near unbeataBULL… (‘cept the bulls of course)
and jake has been able to go in and do his thing without having to look over his shoulder or waste time soothing bruised egos or making sure everyone is on the same page…
so already gert is going to have to do a helluva lot more unnecessary behind the scenes politicking before he even gets to focusing on the rugby…
Gert is just basically the high profile scape goat for the future when AC continues to fuck up
it’s like telling san francisco they’re getting harry callahan to sort out all their problems…
and then sending them a cardboard cutout of clint eastwood in the post…
only thing that MAY shake up this union, is if we lose our superrugby place (or just even need to play out to ensure we stay there)!! so heres hoping for the most abysmal season wp (and stormers) rugby has ever experienced!!
Dont stress fellas, just wait and see, this could well be the prelude of things to come, they don’t want to fire the coaches before the season ends, hopefully they will let AC go at the end of the season.
Signs of change at last.
@MacroBull
If, and it’s a big if I know, the Stormers do well at home, then they can’t get rid of the coach.
We have been having these issues for many years, but winning the 2012 CC was the worst thing that could have happened, as it vindicated AC and his merry men and gave them a reprieve.
Gert has 3 years, I would venture a bet that he wouldn’t even see the fruits of his labour before the 3 years are up.
If things continue to spiral downwards, they can always point at Gert instead of AC as to where to lay the blame.
@ MacroBull:
hehehe…
thanks for the encouragement bud… but as i said to some friends… it depends what the purpose of the change/s is/are…?
If it is a short-term turnaround and making the team win again, I would agree with you.
If however, it is the long-term rebuilding of WP/Stormers rugby to make it a perennially competitive and hopefully dominate rugby force again… then I’d write off the rest of this season in favor of letting a new man take over today and start building structures, strategies and a gameplan that can compete effectively next year…
If they fire AC after the season… or worse still… before next season… they will not be giving the new coach a fair start in SR… he will not be able to coach and prepare the players for an entirely new game plan and attacking philosophy in the off-season… which would mean basically writing off next season for him to ‘build’.
I’d rather write off this already bad season and give him every chance of making next season a much better one.
Then there is also the matter of contracting new players… which we all know AC will not do timeously… especially if he won’t be there to suffer the consequences…
So I’d say let the new guy start today… and let him start building up the current players and game plan… and signing our own local talent for next year too…
Only hope we have is that Dobbo does such a great job in the CC (if he is indeed appointed) that he is given the SR job as well and can then carry on seamlessly… but even then… my concern would be the lack of contracting while AC is around…
I dont mind the stormers losing so much like any bulls fan… but frikken hell its difficult to sit through 80minutes of that…
Ironically 2012 was the worst. Pure torture.
MacroBull wrote:
No worries, we aim to please
Nothing makes Kaksioek happier than the Sharks winning except the Stormers losing
@ nortierd:
You all aim like Deon 😛
@ MacroBull:
That’s not what your mother said.
MacroBull wrote:
Shame, Deon was so depressed after Saturday he threw himself in front of a bus, but missed
@ Stormersboy:
haha was a word for word quote
Actually she is still waiting
@ MacroBull:
Smal a 3yr contract, what has AC got?
22 @ Just For Kicks:
Allister has one of those 99-Year Lease Hold contracts…
All he has to do is occupy, to retain the agreement
@ grootblousmile:Sounds like Hong Kong Phooey!
But, yes, what kind of statement are WP making giving Smal a 3yr contract. For me, it sounds like they don’t trust him, even before he starts his new job.
To me, it smacks of naive, short-sighted, paper-over cowardice.
I am almost prepared to stick my neck out, and say that Smal will not be there in 18 months – I sincerely hope I’m wrong
Surprised to see no Varsity cup rugby thread for the finals today?
Impi’s lost to CUT in the Shield final in Bloem 35-26
Tuks lead Shimlas 8-0 after 9 minutes
25 @ Sharks_forever:
It’s Varsity Shield… not Varsity Cup.
I’m surprised you do not want some platteland under 6C Rugby on as well…
Would rather put a Darts Championship thread on… jinne!
@ grootblousmile:
Gosh we already have Tjarks games on here
@ MacroBull:
@ MacroBull:
no one is forcing you to put them on
no one is forcing you to put them on
@ grootblousmile:
UHm Rudi, I merely asked as you had threads on the varsity shield every week, thus I took it this week there would be again?
And PS maybe darts will do you good so put it up 😆
Time is right to take a wager here?
😉
Will AC be sacked within the next 4 weeks?
YES or NO
I say NO, what’s your guys’ take on it 🙂
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