Former Springbok coach Peter de Villiers is waiting to hear if and when his EP Elephants team will play in the so-called Franchise Cup. Picture: Getty Images
Former Springbok coach Peter de Villiers has rubbished a report that he’s fallen out of contention to coach the Southern Kings due to inferior coaching qualifications.
Rapport alleged at the weekend that the 62-year-old, who was one of four candidates on a shortlist to take over from Deon Davids, was eliminated from the race for not possessing a Level Three coaching certificate.
That qualification is generally regarded as mandatory for any individual to coach at senior level.
However, De Villiers rebuked the claim by releasing a statement and a Facebook post, providing images of all his certificates.
“I don’t know what people hope to achieve by spreading such lies, because the adjudicating committee have proof of my qualifications including my International Level Three coaching qualification,” he said.
“This is unfortunate and deliberately designed by various media channels to continue to malign me and prevent me from succeeding in my current interview process with the Kings.”
As a consequence, such allegations would also leave Saru red-faced for appointing a national coach in 2008 who didn’t possess a proper qualification – especially since De Villiers’ appointment was widely perceived as political expedience.
It’s thus no surprise that former Saru president Oregan Hoskins, the man who rubber stamped De Villiers’ elevation, gave an affidavit confirming that De Villiers was indeed a Level Three coach.
New Zealander Steve Jackson is reportedly in line to replace Davids.
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