Update on the March 2024 post: Pieter and Helmut hit 100!!!
Gim’s 30-08 Paarl Interskole saw the ton registered:
From March 2024
Pieter “Slaptjips” Rossouw needs no introduction. He was a memorable international player who scored 21 tries in 43 tests for the Springboks. Since his retirement from playing, he has been able to utilise his high rugby IQ as a coach and since 2016 he has been the Paarl Gymnasium head coach. Around about the time of Covid, the Gim style of play stepped up to a new level and it has been a pleasure to watch – “the Blueprint” on how to intelligently attack the advantage line and retain ball for the next phase.
An interesting fact about Pieter is that in spite of making his Western Province senior debut at fullback the young age of 22, he was not a regular first team player at Paarl Gim and did not ever play in the schoolboy rugby’s biggest game – Paarl Interskole! There is a good reason for this. At school and immediately after, Pieter focused on pole vault as his priority. If one remembers that era it was dominated by the amazing Sergey Bubka from modern day Ukraine. Closer to home South Africa had a gifted pole vaulter named Ockert Brits, who went on to become one of the greats in that field event. Anyway Pieter only began to concentrate on rugby after injury cut short his promising pole vaulting career.
Pieter’s partner in crime at Gim is the talented forwards coach Helmut Lehmann. Helmut is arguably the best known assistant coach in the land. It is a bit of a puzzler why he isn’t a head coach somewhere because he is just that good. He is also a Paarl Gim alumni who did play Interskole and was selected at flank for SA Schools in 2008. Like Pieter he has represented Western Province. Those who know him say his heart lies with Paarl Gim and that he loves his work.
As a coaching pair the two have over 100 formal matches under the belt since 2016 – Helmut having taken the reins for a few matches while Pieter was working in Japan during the 2017 season. of those games, Gim has won an impressive 88. With 16 matches lined up for 2024 starting with Stellenberg on Saturday 16 March, there is a good chance these two top coaches can get the magical three digit number in the wins column.
@gimmie (Comment #9)
Geluk ook aan jul hokkie afrigters. Naude en Steve oh. Boland seuns hokkie het nog altyd nog n paar spanne wat sterk is benodig.
@Kaya 85 (Comment #8)
agreed, having Dawie as DOR has been great and his positive influence can be seen in all the age group teams. Both our u/14 A and u/16 A teams are nr 1 in SA with our u/15s 4th. In my view, a big part of our success is that Pieter, Helmut and Marnus are all three Gim old boys. Its in their blood and they understand the culture. Gim has never chopped and changes coaches and this stability has contributed to our success. The 2025 season will be difficult as our team will probably have many grade 11s.
Big Respect and Congrats to both….also not forgetting that Gim’s DoR had also contributed massively to this success, himself a former Bok and pro coach with international (Japan club) experience.
Fantastiese resultaat vir 2 baie goeie afrigters.
@Strepie (Comment #4)
Ek wonder nou sterk oor daai nommer.
@JongMatie (Comment #3)<b Ek verstaan nou hoekom jy jouself "Jong"Matie noem, met so 'n kinderagtige opmerking.
@JongMatie (Comment #3)
Jealousy makes you nasty!!
Daar slaan die Stellenbosch verhewendheid maar net weer uit.
Nee wat – n luiperd verander nie van kolle nie.
Well done Gim – die Paarl skole het maar nou net eenvoudig die nommer van die Stellenbossers.
Een span rugbyskool.
Ysters.
Congrats to the coaching staff