Super Rugby coaches BokSmart certified
South African rugby’s elite coaches were leading the way for the rest of the game, said Jurie Roux, CEO of the South African Rugby Union on Monday.
All five of the Vodacom Super Rugby franchise head coaches have been BokSmart certified in preparation for the 2011 season, in addition to Springbok coach Peter de Villiers and his assistant coaches Gary Gold and Dick Muir.
Allister Coetzee (DHL Stormers), Frans Ludeke (Vodacom Bulls), John Mitchell (Lions), John Plumtree (The Sharks) and Naka Drotske (Cheetahs) have all received their BokSmart certification.
They completed the process in order to comply with SARU regulations, which specify that only BokSmart certified coaches and referees will be allowed to operate in South Africa from 2011 onwards.
“I’d like to thank the Unions and their coaches for embracing the programme so actively,” said Roux. “They have shown leadership to the wider game as well as fully engaging with the importance of ensuring that we make rugby a safe game.
“The BokSmart programme is a critical SARU initiative that addresses the issue of rugby safety from every angle – from selection and nutrition all the way to technique, prevention and treatment.”
SARU’s regulations specify that provinces, clubs, rugby bodies and schools are not allowed to host any matches without ensuring that all match officials and participating coaches are BokSmart certified.
“It is fantastic for the BokSmart National Rugby Safety Programme to have the full support of all of our local Vodacom Super Rugby team coaches,” said BokSmart Project Manager Wayne Viljoen.
“The Super Rugby coaches in South Africa have all participated and bought in to the programme, which is aimed at improving the safety standards of rugby played around the country and at all levels of play.
“They all understand the potential risk of serious and catastrophic injury in rugby playing communities with insufficient medical or coaching infrastructure in place to adequately prepare and manage players appropriately for the game. By them doing this course, as have the National coaches, the message is quite clear that no-one is bigger than the game, and no coach or referee in SA can have an excuse for not participating on this very important rugby safety initiative.”
BokSmart, which is sponsored by Absa, has conducted more than 830 rugby safety workshops across the 14 South African rugby unions with a total of 18714 referees and coaches having been certified since its launch in July 2009.
Springbok Sevens coach Paul Treu and his management team as well as SA U20 coach Dawie Theron and his assistants Eric Sauls and Pine Pienaar are also BokSmart certified.
For further information on BokSmart, visit www.BokSmart.com .
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