Cheetahs looking for new coach after Hawies Fourie opts to join Boland

The Cheetahs are looking for a new coach after it was announced late Thursday that Hawies Fourie is to take up a position as head coach of Boland.

Fourie, who has been involved with Cheetahs rugby on and off over several years, was head coach in Bloemfontein since 2019. He will take up his new position from the beginning of March.

“Hawies Fourie’s extensive experience and deep connection to Boland Rugby make him the perfect fit for the head coach role. We are excited about the future under his guidance and look forward to seeing rugby in the Boland celebrated as one of the doyens of South African rugby once again,” said Quintin van Rooyen, CEO of Boland Rugby.

Aim is to be in top six in SA

Fourie said it was “special” for him to return to the union where it all started for him in his coaching career.

“There is no reason why we (Boland) cannot get back in the top six teams in the country, and that will be my aim when I get back in Wellington.”

Fourie played for Boland during the 1994 and 1995 seasons and also helped Ceres win the Boland Super League in 1997 and represented the union at the National Club Championship. He played club rugby in Stellenbosch, Malmesbury, and Ceres. He coached Ceres until 2002 before being appointed as Boland’s provincial side’s head coach until 2005.

He joined the Stormers as the backline coach for a short period during the 2005 season and when Rudy Joubert was appointed as director of rugby at Boland, Fourie joined Joubert’s staff as the backline coach.

Cheetahs

In 2007, Fourie was appointed as the Free State Cheetahs’ backline coach for the Currie Cup and Super Rugby sides – a role he would occupy for seven seasons before accepting the Griquas‘ head coaching role and winning the Currie Cup competition as an assistant in 2007.

Fourie returned to the Western Cape as the head coach for Maties in the Varsity Cup a role which saw him win the coveted Varsity Cup for the Stellenbosch side, a record fourth and fifth win in 2018 and 2019, respectively.

He returned as the head coach to the Free State at the end of the 2019 season. During this time, the Bloemfontein outfit won the Currie Cup Premier Division in 2023.

Reflecting on his time at the Cheetahs, Fourie said: “I am thankful to the Cheetahs, I have coached there for 13 years, nine of which was with Naka Drotské and four as the head coach.”