In another of those schoolboy rugby’s worst-kept secrets in the lead up to its confirmation, Marco Engelbrecht will be the new head coach at Michaelhouse starting in January 2026.
It’s a strong signing for House. While they boast a capable group of coaches across the age groups as evidenced by their outstanding overall derby results, the loss of former Head of Sport and solid rugby coach Ryan Strudwick to Ipswich (UK) is softened by Engelbrecht’s arrival.
A highly rated young coach, Marco is eager to keep developing his craft. He’s also a schoolteacher (he will teach Life Orientation and Economics/EMS) and a man of deep faith — qualities that fit neatly into Michaelhouse’s culture.
Why leave his alma mater, KES, where he was set to continue as head coach despite the challenges of 2025? Two factors may have tipped the scales:
1. His close friend and former schoolmate, Vincent Jordaan, recently took up a teaching post and the Head Cricket Coach role at Michaelhouse.
2. The much talked about KES loss to Paarl Gim at the 2025 Noord-Suid tournament (102-0) which intensified outside pressure. Although his school backed him 100%, the growing supporter expectations that come with modern school rugby may have made a fresh start appealing.
But make no mistake — Michaelhouse isn’t a refuge from pressure. The job has seen its share of head coach instability (Marco will be the seventh change since 2015), and expectations remain high. Those same demands likely opened the door for Marco’s appointment in the first place.
Now, the burning question around the Meadows is whether he can revive the brand of flowing, champagne rugby the faithful all talk about — the kind of expressive, fearless play they’d love to see return to Balgowan.
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