Springboks Names New Defence Coach – But Start Date is Unclear
STELLENBOSCH, SOUTH AFRICA - APRIL 03: Brendan Venter during the Springbok training camp and media briefing at Stellenbosch Academy of Sport on April 03, 2017 in Stellenbosch, South Africa. (Photo by Carl Fourie/Gallo Images)
It seems it may be a little too early to start celebrating the appointment of the new South African Springboks defence coach thanks to an issue with scheduling and an existing contract. Brendan Venter has been confirmed as the new defence coach for the Springboks, but it seems as though his current contract with Italy will push back his start date.
An Impressive History
Those familiar with Venter will remember him from the time he spent coaching the England Saracens and London Irish. He also spent time as the defence coach of the South African Stormers and Coastal Sharks. Of course, his most notable time coaching has been with Italy during the Six Nations. He and Conor O’Shea have created quite the reputations for themselves, making use of all kinds of well thought out tactics that have helped the Italians to succeed.
Venter began with the Italian national team just before the Internationals started last November. Many cite him as being a key component of their incredible win against the Boks in mid-November. The match took place in Florence and resulted in a 20-18 victory for the Italians.
This was why it came as no surprise that when Venter was announced as the new defence coach for the Boks, there was much celebration to be had. Unfortunately, that celebration seems to be short-lived as Venter isn’t ready to get started just yet.
Venter’s Stats – Player and Coach
Looking back on Venter’s rather broad career, he was born in Johannesburg in 1969 and ended up playing rugby for various schools in South Africa. Venter went on to study medicine and play rugby at the University of the Orange Free State.
It wasn’t until he was called upon as a replacement player in the 1995 Rugby World Cup Final that he decided to make it a professional career. South Africa ended up beating New Zealand in this match, marking its first ever World Cup title. He continued to play as a centre for South Africa until 1999, during which time he earned 17 caps.
He transitioned to the position of a coach in 2001 when he moved to the UK in order to coach the London Irish.
Venter to Remain with Italians for Now
It seems as though Venter is in fact contracted to stay with the Italian team until the 2019 World Cup in Japan is finished. What this also means is that when the Boks meet up with the Italians in Rome in November of this year, Venter will still be with the opposing team.
Even with his current contract still standing, Venter will still be around to work with the Springboks. He has just completed the three-day spring training camp with the Boks in a consultancy position.
It seems as though Venter will also be with the Boks during the month of June when Italy takes on Australia, Fiji, and Scotland. At that point, Venter’s position with the Boks is expected to be discussed and re-assessed. There could be a chance for him to be involved in a much more hands-on manner with the Boks from Aug. 19 to Oct. 7 without any interruptions.