Coaching trio signs up with WP Rugby
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Western Province Rugby has announced some exciting additions to its coaching resources, with Paul Treu, Rito Hlungwani and Hanyani Shimange set to join, in various capacities, from 2015 onwards.
The signing of Treu, Hlungwani and Shimange will bolster the DHL Stormers and various DHL Western Province professional teams, whilst WP Rugby has also agreed to release Jacques Nienaber to further his career at national level.
Treu is a highly-regarded coach on the World Sevens circuit, having put South African Sevens on the map by guiding the Springbok Sevens side to the overall IRB Sevens World Series title in 2008/09 and recently also finishing a stint as coach of the national Kenyan Sevens team.
Treu, 43, coached the SA Sevens team between 2004 and 2013, leading them to an overall tally of 14 tournament wins and building a professional and structured squad set-up in the process. His presence will add a new and exciting dynamic to the settled DHL Stormers and DHL Western Province coaching set-ups.
“Paul brings with him plenty of big-game experience and he will add a lot to the already successful and well-balanced coaching set-ups at Western Province,” commented WP Director of Rugby Gert Smal.
“Whilst his recent coaching experience is at Sevens level, Paul has been looking to get back into fifteen-a-side coaching and this is a great opportunity to use his expertise and, at the same time, blood him back into 15s.”
Smal also lauded the appointments of young coaches Rito Hlungwani (who will serve as the DHL WP Under-19 forwards coach) and Hanyani Shimange (who will initially consult to the DHL WP Vodacom Cup team).
“The appointments of Rito and Shimmie are exciting – given that both are products (as players) of our youth system and both have been coaching at club level in the Western Cape for some time,” Smal told www.wprugby.com.
“Rito will add much-needed forward guidance at Institute and U19 level, whilst Shimmie will initially consult to the Vodacom Cup team before joining the DHL WP Under-21 set-up too.”
Meanwhile, defence coach Nienaber will join SA Rugby on a full-time basis after seven years of outstanding service to the DHL Stormers and DHL Western Province, with WP Rugby agreeing to SARU’s request to release him from his current three-year contract a year early.
Smal explained: “Jacques has not been involved in our last two Absa Currie Cup campaigns, due to his dual commitments with SA Rugby, so, I guess, you could say we knew this day would come.
“I would like to thank Jacques for unyielding work ethic and incredible attention to detail – all of which will serve him well at SA Rugby and no doubt benefit the national set-up at the same time.
“The defence-coaching workload will continue to be shared between Allister Coetzee and Greg Hechter, as was the case during our last two Absa Currie Cup campaigns, whilst, at the same time, Paul Treu will be phased into the DHL Stormers coaching set-up and team culture during the Vodacom Super Rugby competition.”
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