OWN CORRESPONDENT, Cape Town | Tuesday 5.25pm.
THE South African Rugby Football Union announced its four coaches for the 2000 Rugby Super 12 competition.
Springbok Assistant coach Alan Solomons remains at the helm of the Stormers, while Bok forward coach Heyneke Meyer, who assisted Solomons last year, has been put in charge of the Northern Bulls.
The Lions’ Laurie Mains will coach the Cats and Natal’s Hugh Reece-Edwards takes over the reins from highly-experienced Ian McIntosh at the Sharks.
“We are satisfied that the four coaches that have been appointed are the right ones,” said SARFU CEO, Rian Oberholzer.
“With Alan and Heyneke involved in the Springbok set-up it made sense that they should coach in the Super 12. Laurie was an automatic choice for the Cats, based on the level of success he has achieved with the Lions in his first season, while Hugh has the benefit of having worked with Ian McIntosh over the past four seasons”.
Oberholzer justified the appointment of Mains, stressing that the New Zealander had much to offer South African rugby.
“When choosing Super 12 coaches we have to look at the bigger picture. We believe that all four coaches have something to offer South African rugby as a whole. Laurie has committed himself to the Lions for three years. He has made an immediate impact, winning the Vodacom Cup and leading his team to the semi-finals of the Bankfin-Currie Cup. There was no way we could overlook this success”.
Solomons is the only coach remaining from 1999. Meyer replaces Eugene van Wyk at the Bulls, Mains takes over from Andre Markgraaff at the Cats and Reece-Edwards succeeds Ian McIntosh at the Sharks.