Frans asks Duane to coach Cheetahs

New Cheetahs coach Frans Steyn has turned to the Springboks for assistance as he attempts to rebuild the Bloemfontein-based franchise.

Steyn took over from Izak van der Westhuizen after a disappointing Challenge Cup campaign in which the Cheetahs failed to reach the round-of-16 for the first time.

Van der Westhuizen will be the Cheetahs forwards coach during the upcoming SA Cup, with Steyn’s former teammate, Ruan Pienaar, in charge of the backs.

New Cheetahs CEO Rory Duncan told Rapport that Steyn – who retired as a player in July 2023 and was appointed Cheetahs director of rugby three months later – planned to get some help from the national team too.

“I know Frans is in contact with Springbok assistant coaches like [scrum coach] Daan Human and [former Bok No 8] Duane Vermeulen to occasionally lend a hand with the coaching,” said Duncan. “It would obviously be great.”

Since retiring as a player after the 2023 World Cup, Vermeulen has helped the Springboks with their defence while performing a roving coaching role with all of SA Rugby’s national teams.

Developing their own players

With the Cheetahs struggling to attract players from other unions due to their exclusion from the Vodacom URC, Duncan said they would once again need to develop their own.

“Before I left, 40% to 45% of the players came through our own academy structures,” said Duncan, who was head coach of the Cheetahs until 2018 when joining the Worcester Warriors.

“That pipeline is something we need to re-establish. We need to retain as much of our own talent as possible. We have good schools in the area. It’s important to retain players from Grey [College], Shimlas [University of the Free State] and Ixias [Central University of Technology].”

The Cheetahs will kick off their SA Cup campaign against Boland in Wellington on Saturday, 8 March.

This story was first published on sarugbymag.co.za. It is republished here with permission.