Griquas rugby union Press Statement regarding CJ van der Linde
“It is with regret that the Griquas rugby union announces that we will be parting ways with our recently
appointed Forwards Coach, CJ van der Linde, in March 2019. CJ has just returned from a consultancy period in
Japan and has very recently been offered an overseas opportunity which is one that is felt he just cannot
decline.” said Griquas CEO Arni van Rooyen.
Griquas said that CJ will assist the Head Coach Brent Janse van Rensburg in the coming months before he
departs the union officially, to ensure that the team can prepare for the season with as little disruption as
possible and to afford some time for the appointment of another assistant coach in due course.
CJ van der Linde said, “I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity Griquas gave me and the faith that Brent
has in my ability. It saddens me that I have had to resign before I got a chance to start working with the group
of players but, although it was an extremely difficult decision to make, was one made with the future of my
family being the deciding factor.”
“I want to thank everyone at Griquas, and especially Brent, for understanding my decision and respecting me
as a person with the way they have dealt with this. I am a firm believer in Brent as a coach, what he has to
offer, his structures and systems work, and he has an ability to create a team culture that moulds successful
teams.”
“I hope only for the best in the coming seasons for Griquas and believe that if they follow the vision that Brent
has for them, they will be successful without doubt.”
Griquas Head Coach Brent Janse van Rensburg said, that although it is disappointing to lose van der Linde,
they will focus on the solutions needed to move forward as effectively as possible.
“These things happen unfortunately, we will look ahead and invest our energy into the way forward. No
person has the right to decide for another what is best for him and impact their future, thus it wouldn’t be
right for us to stand in his way. CJ feels this is best for him and his family, which we respect, he has our
blessing and best wishes for him, when he departs. I am very thankful that he will be giving us 2-3 months to
assist our preparations before his departure.” said Janse van Rensburg.
Janse van Rensburg further added that they will not be rushing into appointing anyone in van der Linde’s
place. “Decisions will be made with the long term in mind. The success and sustainability of our program will
be the focus. Short-term reactive decision making just leads to problems inevitably. Getting the right people
in our environment is imperative for us to bring in the required skill set and personality to serve our program
appropriately.”, said Janse van Rensburg
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