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.
29 @ Sharks_forever:
No, we only had Live Game Articles on for the Varsity Cup PROPER, never for the Varsity Shield.
All we had on the Varsity Shield, Young Guns and Koshuisliga was a sideways mention of when and where the fixtures would be… no live games.
We cannot and will not cover minor rugby, there just is’nt a demand for it or an interest in it.
Hell, we do not even have the time to cover Vodacom Cup rugby, as it interferes and overlaps with Super Rugby… and THAT is Provincial rugby!
I am a 1-Man army… I know… but sometimes even I battle to surround the enemy completely…
30 @ Hondo:
I recon Allister & Fleckie are safe till after conclusion of Super Rugby!
Veilig soos ‘n spreilig!
@ grootblousmile:
Sometimes you even put Stormers articles up before I even get the pressers by mail.
Stephen Nell @Stephen_Nell · 1m
New WP director of rugby Gert Smal praised Stormers coach Allister Coetzee today. Change in coming weeks unlikely. #dhlstormers
33 @ Stormersboy:
Hehehe
Ek’s fokken vinnig, hey!
@ grootblousmile:
Ja maar ook redelik onvolledig in hierdie geval.
Se net. Ek het voor my rekenaar gesit vanaf 14h00 on the wag vir die epos maar voordat ek die amptelike aankondiging van Howard gekry het het jy al die storie gepos.
36 @ Stormersboy:
Jy moet meer parraffien in jou PC gooi…
I post from the Press Release E-Mails myself too!
@ grootblousmile:
I know. But it’s your imap lol.
I think the emails arrive at the mothership 5 minutes earlier than they arrive at me.
38 @ Stormersboy:
You should have set it up as a Pop 3 E-Mail Account, not an Imap Account…. seriously!
@ grootblousmile:
Dunno. Set it up the way you told me. I just guessed Imap.
It only works one way though. It receives but doesn’t send.
41 @ Stormersboy:
Then the Outgong Mail Settings are wrong…
What one would have to do is Export all the Mails, Contacts etc to a file in a folder, then DELETE the Imap Account, then SET UP a proper Pop3 Account, then IMPORT all the Mails & Contacts.
I could do it for you, if we could get Teamviewer or some other Remote Control Softs on your PC… Could then simply Login remotely, take control and do it while you watch your Mouse vamoose all over.
@ grootblousmile:
I have pop 3 on both settings. I used to be able to send as well as receive but now can only receive.
I don’t have imap. Not on that email anyway.
43 @ Stormersboy:
I’m going to switch Skype on… Skype me after the Extra Time in the Varsity Young Guns… then I will check your settings quickly for you.
Congrats Gert Smal you start your new job on April Fools day. You can alway blame that.
45 @ superBul:
9 Years ago, on April Fools Day, I was robbed at gun-point in my office… I am still waiting for them to bring my money back… hahaha
@ grootblousmile:
Yep, the loud in CT chorus calling for AC’s head just lacks credibility!
Hondo will fight tooth and nail for AC and Fleck to remain.
He is making good money by betting how many line outs Deon misses, how little tries the back line scores and on the Stormers losses.
Gosh one post Hondo is claiming there is a refereeing conspiracy to help the stormers, the next he hails AC’s great coaching record…
@ nortierd:
Hondo makes money from sports betting in the same way that Zoomer is going to pay back the money for his firepool.
AC did manage to take the Stormers to top of the log, and for that we will always be grateful, however, he has subsequently stagnated and regressed. That much is plain to see and that’s why it’s time for a change. The current situation is solely his doing, he recruited the current players and lost those that he deemed not good enough. The game plan is his blue print, the conditioning or non conditioning of the players who are expected to play a defense orientated game is his doing.
This should not be seen as personal, but merely that his time is up and he has taken the team as far as he could and now it’s time for someone new to get an opportunity and hopefully get things looking better. Similar to what happened to Plum, only Plum is probably a better coach than AC.
Agree with nortierd here, fully. Same is being said said of Blackadder at the Saders, he is no longer bringing anything new to the franchise and their rugby is stagnating.
guess Naka as well with the Cheethas
Time for a new era, new blood and new memories to be made
bakkies gaan vir die stormers speel…
haha april fool
And they’re also removing the green from the Springbok jersey and replacing it with red to appease sponsors ABSA.
Oh, and the first test to be played with the new jersey is against Wales in June.
54 @ BrumbiesBoy:
Today one has to sift the Rugby News carefully in light of the freegin silly April Fools Day shit!
Roundup of the April Fool stories regarding rugby….the Bakkies playing for the Stormers not there yet.
http://www.espnscrum.com/blogs/rugby/story/220373.html
And in other news, Nortier has declared an undying love for anything even remotely associated with French & Tjarks rugby…
BrumbiesBoy wrote:
@ BrumbiesBoy:
Wouldn’t it be the biggest April joke if Australia lose to Bangladesh?
What would that be then, Aussies whitewashed at WC?
59 @ superBul:
Wouldn’t surprise me though, it’s like the Poms losing to the Dutch!
On a serious note though, I unfortunately lost all interest in cricket after the betting scandal and hardly take note of what’s going on anymore.
Sadly now when I see a game being played my mind is always in doubt…
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