During an already turbulent period for the Border region’s school rugby, Hudson Park head coach Dru Nass looks set to leave in order to take up the post of DHS Head of Rugby in Durban. Nass will become the third coach of the four largest Border region rugby schools to part the scene in recent months. Dale lost iconic coach Griffy Griffiths to club rugby in Cape Town (with SACS also part of his new living environment) and then well respected Queens coach John Duncan resigned suddenly and now works in the farming industry.
Nass, a former Boland and Border provincial scrumhalf has been credited with some good work at both Hudson Park High School and the affiliated primary school where he took care of skills coaching. He is believed to be replacing Grant Kretzmann who was meant to leave KES in Jozi to take up the DHS post. Kretzmann seems to have changed his mind and withdrawn at a very late stage. Oddly enough according to DHS, Nass was the school’s preferred candidate all along, so perhaps this late change appointment will work out for the better.
@Rockspider: It would be awesome to have someone of Luke Smith’s calibre take the reigns at CB Jennings.
@Rockspider: As far as i hear Mr Basset and Mr Bolze are taking the reigns at Queens
Who is taking over at QC and Dale. Saw Luke Smith in KWT during December. He was interested to move back to King. Were any appointments made to date?.
I think what would solve all problems is somebody poaches the Border Rugby union.
@QC86: That man has no intentions of leaving Selborne, I tell ya.I’m sure the Bulls have been trying to recruit him for years now
@All Black: I think purely from a 1st team rugby coaching point of view, they are covered. Previously the HoR and Head Coach was a combined function under Deon Gericke. Now Christo Wilkinson who had won over a lot of fans as coach of DHS u16A has been in charge of 1st team coaching and looks set to continue in that role. The immediate problems are firstly getting a teacher, as the KES man was meant to do classroom work, secondly finding a new u16A. Getting someone to oversee rugby at the school might fall to last on the priority list as this function can be absorbed by others in the interim.
@Playa: i wish he would go to the bulls,lot of young teachers at selborne that are dying to coach the firsts,and they know what they are doing
@All Black: Good points. Perhaps less focus on the goings at Glenwood would have been better for them?
Is the embargo against Glenwood still on?
Who is actually going to coach the 1st team at DHS? They were looking for a MIC of rugby and then a coach? Other schools are up and running, or should be anyway. If schools are multi million rand businesses, they should be run as such. Sounds like there is far too much indecision and too much talk. Surely you dont advertise people until they are firmly on board? Northwood have done the same.
@Griffon:
Loads of experience and very good coach. Has coached SO many successful DHS waterpolo and swimming teams in the past.
He coached the KZN U16 team that won the SA Schools champs in December. Also coaches abit of rugby. I do think that the new DHS polo coach will benefit us much more as a school though.
@beet
Oh I see. All will unfold and questions will be answered in weeks to come. He will need to familiarize himself with the KZN recruitment structures very quickly. Something tells me he will steal a couple of Afrikaans boys from the GWD feeder schools in a year or two.
How did Hudson Park do in 2012 though?
@ Horsy : The DHS coach coming to Westville to coach u16’s. Don’t know much him. Just wondering how his coaching skills and experience is. I know he’s a good polo coach.
@HORSEFLY NO.1: Will try find out what went wrong with GK tomorrow. I suspect KES did not want to lose him and either matched or improved on DHS’s offer.
@HORSEFLY NO.1: Sorry I was referring to what GK’s role would have been – decided teach and oversea rugby, undecided coach u16’s.
With DN, he seems to be more of a hands on type coach. Coming from a small size school he is more than likely a teacher as well. Unknown at this stage is how he will contribute to improving structures, an area that GK was strong in.
@beet:
Well as long as things turn out well hey…
I think that couldve been the reason why the schools aren’t playing this year.
I’m sure he’ll do well. Hudson Park U14 team for 2012 was amazing and I’m sure he had a hand in attracting them to the school.
He should coach though IMO, skills used wisely. Do you know why Grant turned the role down though?
@HORSEFLY NO.1: Funnily enough I did not find that statement hard to believe at all. This has turned out to be a far more difficult process than DHS probably imagined it would be. I don’t think Kretzmann was one the first choices. I think he got bumped up the list coz of the reference the new CEO gave him. Anyway it will make for a few uncomfortable moments when DHS and KES meet, not that this won’t have happened anyway had GK accepted.
BTW indications were that a decision to let him coach u16 had not been reached either. He was going to focus on improving rugby structures and used in the classroom as well.
Well done to DHS for getting a replacement so quickly but I do think the whole he was our preferred choice thing is just bulldust.
Guess he’s going to coach U16A now…
@beet: Hahahahahahaha!
@Playa: That’s the next story. He has been IDed as the no.1 10-man rugby school coach in all of SA and the Bulls want him badly.
Jokes!
@BOG: that Craven Week side stands alone as the most terrible I have ever watched, problem there wasn’t only alcohol related incidents, the selection was terrible
Was telling Beet and the guys earlier about how this period and that Craven Week are some low points in our schoolboy, I think what’s happening now though is gonna have a negative effect over a long period as opposed to that terrible Craven Week which had no effect on the following years, I mean the 2008 Craven Week side was fantastic
Tragic!
And Kevin Taylor still lives on.
@Ludz: Im going to start charging you for these lectures. I agree that Borders SBR was OK over the yrs, but in 2007, when CW was in Stellenbosch, it was in a mess. I dont know for how long before and after, but I read about a loyal Border supporter who was to ashamed to admit that he was a supporter. There were all kinds of issues- I cannot remember the details, but I think drinking was one of them- management and players. But I think thats when the coach from Queens stepped in(Or Dale) Was it Van Rensburg?
@All Black: “and theses are the Days of our Lives”
@BOG: our schoolboy rugby has always been strong, never really suffered like the senior side, so don’t think we’ve ever been at a really low point, maybe the odd year here and there
This though seems like we going down and we won’t recover so quickly
Preferred choice!! What a B league rugby school coach for an A league coach of the strongest English school in Gauteng with proven results….methinks that is just spin because they have been rejected at the last minute…
@Ludz: Until a few years ago, I believe it was a shambles. It then recovered under new management, but it would seem, that it is returning to where it was- in the doldrums
@All Black:
If it wasn’t already enough that Border’s senior side is already a mess, now our schoolboy rugby is also in shambles
It’s a sad period for our schoolboy rugby at the moment
Hudson Park? Preferred candidate? KES man pulling out? Skills coach? Not sure whats happening with all these school posts. Could be a good idea for a TV reality show.