Western Province rugby coaches Kobus van der Merwe and his assistant, Jerome Paarwater, resigned from their posts on Wednesday.
This was confirmed by Western Province Rugby Union CEO Rob Wegner, who said it was mutually agreed by his union and the coaches that in the interest of Western Province rugby the coaches would step down.
Vodacom Cup coaches Gary Gold and Nazeem Adams will assume the roles of acting head coach and acting assistant coach respectively with immediate effect for the remainder of the 2007 Absa Currie Cup series.
Van der Merwe, who did not want to comment on his resignation, has spent two frustrating seasons at Province where the team’s results have not always been the best. His tenure as Stormers coach saw him win four out 13 games in his first season and six out 13 in his second year. The team’s best finish on the Super 14 log is 10th.
As Absa Currie Cup coach for two seasons he failed to win any silverware and despite arriving in the Cape at the recommendation of director of rugby Nick Mallett, it is believed Mallett called for his resignation.
Despite winning their opening game against the Lions in the Currie Cup series this season, Province went on to lose to Boland and the Sharks. The manner in which they lost both games irked Van der Merwe and he lambasted his players for lack of effort.
A new director of rugby and Super 14 coach will be appointed by the union at the end of the season and former Cheetahs coach Rassie Erasmus and South African under-21 coach Pieter De Villiers have been linked to the post. It is been proposed that both posts will be filled by one person. — Sapa