Ruan Pienaar to coach Cheetahs juniors after hanging up boots

Former World Cup winning Springbok scrumhalf Ruan Pienaar says he is hoping to get involved in coaching when he hangs up his rugby boots in May.

The 2007 World Cup winner is expected to go into coaching when his career finally ends, initially first as a junior coach to “see if I’m any good at it”, he told Rapport newspaper at the weekend.

Pienaar tuned 40 last week and is one of the longest-serving rugby players in South Africa.

For his efforts in helping the Cheetahs win the Currie Cup last year — they downed the Pumas after losing to the same team in the semi-finals the season before — Pienaar was last week named Currie Cup Premier Division Player of the Year for 2023.

‘Big challenge’

The 88-Test Bok veteran was supposed to give up the game at the end of last season but was persuaded to continue for another season and will now call time on his career after the SA Cup at the end of May.

“I’ll probably start coaching the juniors if I do go into coaching, to pick up experience and see if I’m any good at it,” Pienaar told Rapport.

“There’s a big difference between playing and coaching. It would be a big challenge.”

Pienaar said the time had come to spend more time with his family.

“It’s been memorable, but it’s time to be with my family and to chill out. It’s been a privilege to play for 20 years at the highest level. Thankfully I’ve had no major injuries and have been healthy throughout my career.”

Regarding his winning an award for best player at the age of 40, Pienaar said: “To get that sort of recognition at my age is great, but it’s not why we play rugby.

“A number of older guys are still playing, like Deon Fourie, Willem Alberts, Schalk Ferreira, Brok Harris … and it’s good to see they’re still being recognised as good players.”