Well it feels like it was just yesterday when Swys de Bruin was being formally introduced as the new Head Coach at Northwood School. However today his Facebook page contained the following message:
Nog n era verby! Ek het die pos aanvaar by die Leeus as backline coach. Sien baie uit na die nuwe uitdaging!Ek glo die Here sal ons paaie gelyk maak!
Translated: Another chapter gone! I have accepted the post of backline coach at the Lions. Looking forward to the new challenge. I believe the Lord will make our paths straight (Proverbs 3:6).
Swys is currently a senior coach at the Sharks Academy. His departure will be a huge loss to the Sharks and their highly successful junior player development programme. The move makes sense though. Swys has so much to offer SA rugby. He is an outstanding coach and has a ton of experience under the belt. The Golden Lions are a bit light in the coaching department at the moment. The GLRU has parted ways with the likes of John Mitchell, Carlos Spencer, Wayne Taylor, Deon Davids and most recently Hans Coetzee who reunited with Monnas.
Where this move leaves Northwood remains to be determined. The Durban North school kicks off their 2013 rugby season at the Damelin Night Series in just 51 days time.
@PappaGaai: Yes. I have heard this. It is so hard to separate fact from fiction but for now it’s believed that John Mitchell has expressed an interest in coaching Northwood. I can’t see it happening. It would surely result in Brad Mac-Henderson dropping a notch 2nd on the list of best paid coaches in KZN SBR. I can’t see that happening anytime soon.
Out of Coca Coca park rumour is that Swys and John Mitchell is merely swapping roles… Swys to Josie and John to Durban North. Anyone heard any thing?
@HORSEFLY NO.1: hey not at all harsh, there is alot behind the scenes here , own agendas, promise you
@HORSEFLY NO.1: no you cant blame him, but the Exco that thought this plan out have been working for a long time to get Barry out , and furnish own desires, i have mentioned this earlier in the year , one needs to look deeper into why and how this transpired, I think now we will see a weakened and ill prepared NW team , so we will need to watch performances in the Night Series
@beet: ya , and i hope he sits and looks at this mess and everyone realises the Hole they are in now
@Gungets Tuft: “A damn good relationship with the powers that be is strongly advised” – so true. DHS decision-makers need to look beyond the short-term here. The DoE is in a position to make life in the long run very difficult. The old win the battle lose the war phase might hold true in this one if DHS ignores the warning signs.
It doesn’t NEED to be an old boy but he is preferred. If someone much better than the old boys on offer comes along then obviously he would be the front runner to the job.
The CEO thing I’m sure has been dealt with with the DoE though.
@HORSEFLY NO.1: Not true. Any “office bearing” position needs to be cleared with the education department. Even your teachers, most of whom will be paid by the governing body and school fees need to be approved by the education department. As I see it the education department will resist any attempt to place an “unapproved” person in a position where they can influence policy. A unionised staff body would make sure that the Department stepped in.
A damn good relationship with the powers that be is strongly advised. I can also not quite figure why the headmaster/mistress needs to be an Old Boy. While I am sure there are a great many seriously competent Old Boys, do you really want to limit your talent search to a limited pool. Would you do that in the business analogy that you have often used?
PS – that errant “full stop” you keep getting is due to you hitting the space bar twice on your mobile device.
@beet:
Thanks.is it not none of their business though? Its not like THEY are paying him so he’s not THEIR responsibility.
Oh and yes then it must be tough to get the type of Head you want which for DHS I would think is almost compulsory to be an Old Boy
@HORSEFLY NO.1: Truro House is the home of the Dept of Education. Would be interesting to find out their level of happiness at the appointment of a CEO to run DHS. It seems like the DHS Board of Governors and the DoE have to work together to appoint a new headmaster. That could be fun and games.
@Gungets Tuft:
Hopefully it doesn’t get bad for NW though after all this pre season hype about them… But Swys I think was the catalyst to all movements so it will be hard to keep the momentum.
What kind of admin problems for DHS?don’t leave it hanging!
@Gungets Tuft:
Truro house?? What’s that?
@HORSEFLY NO.1: Perhaps, perhaps not. I hear of some personal powerbroking going on that has backfired?
Is just the influence of a RSU administrator (rather than an Academy coach) going to be enough to maintain that momentum. My personal experience is that resentment at people chasing personal reward quickly builds up and poisons the groundwater.
And, as we are hearing from DHS as well, a few little “admin” problems from Truro House ..??
@Green Hopper:
That’s quite harsh, nobody knew it would turn out this way.they are just trying to turn around their fortunes…
@beet: who is the idot in charge at Northwood Rugby, how did he manage to arrange such a absolute mess
@GreenBlooded: No pencils?
On the serious side, it seems a lot of false dawns an Northwood, what with David Campese a few years back. Personally – I think the manoevering to get rid of a stalwart like Barry Wilson has a certain bad karma about it – probably leave a few insiders with a reputation problem.
@GreenBlooded: I just knew it, damn locusts!!!!
@The Beast: It was Sean Erasmus. I’ve just spoken to some of my peeps inside the Green Machine. The chief personal officer at GLRU has a son playing for Sandown High School 3rd team. Sean cut a deal saying he would get the boy a full scholarship to Glenwood, a new Ipad, Ipod and Iphone thrown in as well as a place in the KZN Schools team if they would hire Swys away from Northwood.
It’s not what you know – it’s who you know mate.
@The Beast: A “Swine move”? I don’t think there was any malice here. The guy simply got a shot at the big time and took it – who wouldn’t?? Very bad luck for Northwood though. With min dae to go before they kick their season off they are going to need to make a plan PDQ. Maybe go back to Barry Wilson with cap in hand and a big box of humble-pie?
Sounds like Swys pulled a “swine” move on Northwood. Wonder who at Glenwood had something to do with it, AGAIN?
Really sad for NW especially considering all the hype made about him. I do kinda sympathize for them, I hope that they still continue with their good work though.
Don’t blame Swys though,great opportunity
Anyway it really looks like Swys dumped Northwood in the poo at the last minute but at least he’s making up for it by assisting them to find a replacement coach
@GreenBlooded: Barry has been around for a long time. He has a fan club a lot bigger than many want to believe. So I don’t just think he’s the only one smiling right now.
Somewhere in Durban North, Barry Wilson sits with a wry smile on his face.
so what?? not enogh in the pond to pay him more???