Duane Vermeulen is relishing the opportunity to prep the world champion Springboks for their 2024 Rugby Championship opener against the Wallabies in Brisbane next week.
The Boks will kick off the competition against the Wallabies at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane next Saturday, before making the trip to Perth for their second clash against the Wallabies a week later at the Optus Stadium.
One of Bok rugby’s legendary hardmen, Vermeulen played the last of his 76 Tests in the 2023 Rugby World Cup final in France before taking up a role within SA Rugby’s coaching structures this year.
The two-time world champion assisted the Boks during the July series in the Republic, which featured two Tests against Ireland and one against Portugal, and he is currently in Australia with Rassie Erasmus’ charges for what is expected to be a gripping The Rugby Championship.
“At first, I didn’t really know where to fit in because only last year I was a player and now obviously I’m more on the management side of things,” he said. “Having played with most of the guys before, one tends to know them really well, which makes moving into such a role smoother.
“However, working with the coaches has been fantastic. It’s good fun, and I’m learning a lot because now I get to see the other side of things.”
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The former Bok No eight said that his focus in the week had now changed: “As a player you must put in the hard yards on the training field during the week and ensure that you pitch up on the weekend.
“But in this role, you see how the coaches approach every game, and witness first-hand all the hard work and planning that goes into it, so it’s an exciting challenge, and one that I hope will allow me to grow in this path.”
Vermeulen added that the experience he gained during his playing days was invaluable in allowing him to serve both the coaches and players as effectively as possible.
“That was probably one of the easiest things because I understand the players and their mindset,” he said. “As a former player I know what it’s like to constantly try to improve your game, so it’s nice to be the voice between the players and coaches, and more so since some players don’t know how to approach a coach.
“This way I can listen to the players because they communicate with me, but it also works vice versa with the coaches.”
A 2020 and 2014 SA Rugby Player of the Year, Vermeulen is delighted to still be able to make a contribution to the sport: “I was in the professional game for 19 years and I think I started playing rugby when I was three years old, so it’s not just about my love for the game, but everything that goes with it.
“When you’ve been in rugby for such a long time, it’s difficult to walk away, and by being a Mobi-Unit coach it’s nice to be able to share the things that I learned over the years with the next generation of players.”
The Boks wrapped up training Down Under earlier today, after touching down in Australia on Thursday.
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