Losing Meyer is losing too much

The move from Heyneke Meyer to the Leicester Tigers have completed a rugby ‘brain-drain’ the likes SA Rugby has never seen.

Nick Mallet (Italy), Jake White (IRB), Gert Smal (UK) and Heyneke Meyer has all left South African rugby to go look for greener pastures elsewhere. Now many might say this is the way professional sport works and that it is a case of supply and demand, but if you consider that Mallet, Smal and Meyer all either occupied positions within the structures of SA Rugby, or applied/proposed for positions and or projects to run with SA Rugby, then it becomes clear that these guys did not want to go, or did not make themselves available freely on the market – they were simply forced out.

Jake White’s situation on how he crossed swords with SA Rugby following the World Cup has been discussed many times – but I reckon it is safe to say that according to White, he did not ‘want’ to go, but was basically forced out.

Nick Mallet’s involvement with Western Province rugby is also tainted with a lot of situations and examples of where he was not allowed (according to him) to do the job he was employed to do, and the administration of WP Rugby left him with basically no choice to go find another job.

Gert Smal was reported to have proposed something to SA Rugby, in which he saw himself making a huge difference in resurrecting rugby in the Eastern Cape, where he could head-up a project to get a province which has been the topic of many discussions on the failures of the unions and the Spears, to become a super power in SA Rugby.

Heyneke Meyer lost out to the Bok coaching position which is perhaps tough luck, but subsequent to that Hoskins and Stofile (two guys in the running for the President of SA Rugby at the time) promised Meyer that they will involve him within the structures of SA Rugby – in a position of Director of Rugby as was reported at the time.

All of this, came to absolutely nothing.

The President’s Council got their wish in seeing Jake White exiting from SA Rugby and joining the corporate world. This is a guy who won South Africa the World Cup for a second time despite numerous attempts to derail his campaign through his 4 years in charge.

Nick Mallet decided he wanted out of WP Rugby. This is an ex-Bok coach who has the best record of all modern day Bok coaches including a world record equalling run of consecutive victories, and a bronze World Cup medal.

Gert Smal’s proposal was not even looked at, or discussed, or even given the decency or respect to give the guy some feedback. This is an assistant World Cup winning Bok coach, who also has extensive experience and some success at coaching at Currie Cup and Super rugby level – and by all accounts, one of the most respected forward coaches (by the players) in SA Rugby.

The biggest loss in my opinion though, is Heyneke Meyer.

I cannot for the life of me understand how SA Rugby and Hoskins can continue to play silly political games, moving from one mess to the other, trying to secure political victories in elections, can allow intellectual capital like this to leave our shores! In fact, if SA Rugby and Hoskins perhaps took the time to keep some of these experts in SA Rugby, to assist SA Rugby in developing the game across all levels, he would not look like an absolute idiot in front of Khompela and the Sports Portfolio Committee having to retract statements and be accused of lying to parliament and the public.

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Heyneke Meyer should have been made the Director of Rugby in SA Rugby.

Let’s just have a look at what Heyneke Meyer has achieved in SA Rugby.

Meyer started his ‘rugby career’ out at Tukkies where he studied Sports Psychology. There he was a player coach and thanks to Tukkies’ rich rugby history, he was guided by some of the best and biggest names of the time including Daan Swiegers, Dok Dawie Marais and John Williams. From there Meyer coached at various different levels, from high school teams right through to Carlton League teams of which it is interesting to note that all the teams he coached during the late 80’s and early 90’s all reached a semi-final of their respective leagues at least.

Meyer was then appointed as the assistant coach to SWD (South Western Districts) in 1997. The following year he was promoted to head coach of the team where they ended up 7th on the Currie Cup log – their best achievement at the time. (SWD went on to reach the semi’s of the Currie Cup the following year).

Before returning to the Bulls in 2000, Meyer had reasonably successful stints as assistant coach at both the Stormers and the Boks.

His failures at the Bulls in his early years is well documented, but Meyer, a firm believer in building structures for guaranteed continued success asked the Bulls to stick with him and he will make them the most successful SA Team. They did, and he delivered.

He started off by coaching the Vodacom Cup team to victory claiming the title. From 2002 to 2006 the Bulls reached the Currie Cup final 6 times, winning it 3-times in a row. The Vodacom Blue Bulls went on and reached the semi’s of the Super 12 in 2005, continued their good run in 2006, and as every Bulls supporter will tell you, gave South Africa its first Super rugby title in 2007.

Meyer has always been a firm believer in structures, and this vision and approach saw him turn a hopeless Bulls union (at the time of his arrival) around into the most successful South African rugby union for the last decade. Not only did he achieve this at senior level, but the Bulls basically dominated SA Rugby at age-group level right through to women’s rugby and Vodacom Cup level during his tenure at the union. It is no wonder that even with Meyer gone, the structures he put in place saw the majority of the Baby Boks that competed in this year’s IRB junior World Cup coming from the Bulls in addition to the Bulls Vodacom Cup team winning the title again in 2008.

Now I want to know from SA Rugby and Hoskins and Stones, how on God’s green earth they could let an experienced guy like this slip through the net?!

Meyer was not my personal candidate for the Bok coaching job (Peter neither) for reasons to long too mention now.

The fact however that SA Rugby across most levels still succeed or be competitive on the international stage, despite the ineptness of SA Rugby administration says something to me about the talent we have in this country. Now just imagine what we could achieve if this talent is enhanced? And show me a better person, to put structures in place for guaranteed continued success across all levels of rugby than Heyneke Meyer!

Yet, I continue to read reports of how not one SA Rugby administrator, fellow national coach or union congratulated Peter de Villiers last year on his tournament victory with the Emerging Boks. Not once do I hear how SA Rugby plans to enhance the prodigious talent we have at age-group level talking to Eric Sauls (the coach) on the best way forward to keep these talented young players in the system and make sure they do not get lost.

Not once do I see any continuation in the development of either players or coaches in SA Rugby like was the case with Chester Williams and the Emerging Boks following their tournament victory recently. All we hear is Jonathan Stones mumble something in the press on how they are going to sit with Chester and look at how they can slot him into the structures of SA Rugby…

Not once did I see a concrete plan on expanding or enhancing rugby at club level or at smaller unions from SA Rugby to develop the talent at amateur level or even tackle the disaster which is Eastern Cape rugby head on with positive, structured plans. All we hear is some useless report from some guy I have never heard of before who SA Rugby appointed to get the Eastern Cape ready by 2010 to be competitive. Yet we let Gert Smal go who WANTED to contribute his services and experience to this area. Hell they did not even have the decency to read his proposal. And if it was not for Francois Pienaar and FNB would we ever see school’s rugby returning to some sort of strength and make Varsity rugby popular again?

There is no sign to help the smaller unions like Boland (who still have not got a sponsor) by developing their coaches and players to become competitive. All we hear is how the unions are preparing for a fight on broadcasting monies about to be paid out.

Are you bloody blind SA Rugby?!

With all Meyer’s experience and proven success and methodologies what better guy is there to sort this dire situation in SA Rugby out – something you are clearly incapable of doing?

Imagine what SA Rugby could become, or how strong we could have been if Heyneke Meyer was employed to do what he does best. To map out structures, implement them and oversee them from age-group level, through club and varsity level, unions, Super francises and ultimately national level. To ensure there is constant communication, continuation and plans in place to develop our players at all levels, stopping the exodus of players and keeping them in the system making sure they do not fall through the net!

Through their political bullshit and games, SA Rugby (unsurprisingly) not only let Heyneke Meyer, Gert Smal, Jake White and Nick Mallet down, they robbed the players and supporters of something that could possibly have been the greatest era of Springbok and South African rugby in history.