SA Schools coaching shake-up

Lwazi Zangqa and Flash Malinga take the head coaching reins of the SA Schools and SA Schools A teams, respectively, with Cobus van Dyk and Clinton van Rensburg assisting them.

SA Rugby confirmed the coaching and management teams for the SA Schools and SA U18 squads on Thursday. Zangqa (Hudson Park High) was SA Schools assistant coach last year and he is also a former SA Schools Academy head coach, while Van Dyk (Hoërskool Waterkloof) was one of the specialist coaches for both the SA Schools and SA Schools A teams in 2023 and 2024.

Malinga, a former Bulls Daisies head coach, was in charge of the Junior Springbok Women last year. He accepted a teaching and coaching role with Maritzburg College at the end of 2023. Van Rensburg (Rondebosch Boys’ High) has led the WP U18 Craven Week team to success over the past three years.

“I want to congratulate each of these coaches on their well-deserved appointments,” Saru CEO Rian Oberholzer said. “We thank them for their continued commitment to developing young talent and wish them every success as they embrace this opportunity.”

Junior Springboks head coach Kevin Foote will oversee the coaching framework and mentor the appointed coaches. He added: “This structure ensures our junior teams are aligned with national strategies, while also giving our coaches the tools to grow within a high-performance environment.”

The Elite Player Development (EPD) Programme continues to produce top-tier coaching talent, with recent success stories including former SA Schools coaches James Winstanley, Phiwe Nomlomo, and Wessel du Plessis at the Bulls, and Mzwakhe Nkosi at the Golden Lions.

The SA Schools teams will play their traditional fixture against each other on Thursday, 17 July at HTS Middelburg, following the U18 Craven Week, which takes place from 6-12 July at Hoërskool Middelburg.

SA Schools, SA U18 management
Head coach: Lwazi Zangqa (Border)
Assistant coach: Cobus van Dyk (Blue Bulls)
Team manager: Dean Moodley (KZN)
Physiotherapist: Robin Williams (KZN)
Conditioning Coach: Yaw Fosu-Amoah (Eastern Province)
Team Doctor: Gershwin Kortje (Boland)
SA Schools A, SA U18 A Management
Head coach: Flash Malinga (KZN)
Assistant coach: Clinton van Rensburg (WP)
Team Manager: Mandla Madaka (Blue Bulls)
Physiotherapist: Rob Sims (WP)
Conditioning coach: Adriaan Jansen (SWD)
Team doctor: Gershwin Kortje (Boland)

Photo: Grant Pitcher/Gallo Images