Affies lands Westville head coach

Affies have secured a significant coaching coup with Westville 1st XV head coach Zander Erasmus set to join the Pretoria powerhouse.

The move is understood to have been influenced by both professional and family considerations. Zander’s wife has accepted a department position for Mathematics, while the relocation also gives the family the opportunity to educate their sons in Afrikaans at one of South Africa’s premier all-round schools.

From a rugby perspective, Zander’s arrival represents a major acquisition for Affies. Any significant reshuffle within the rugby structures is expected to wait until the appointment of the school’s new Director of Rugby. There is also the vacant 1st XV head coach position to fill, with highly-rated young coach Ruan Jacobs set to join the Sharks at the conclusion of the school rugby season. Unsurprisingly, a star-studded shortlist of heavyweight candidates is understood to be in contention for what remains one of the most prestigious, demanding and high-profile coaching jobs in South African schoolboy rugby.

For Westville, however, Zander’s departure is a considerable setback. In his first season at the helm, he guided the Griffins to an unbeaten 2025 campaign, ending the school’s two-decade wait for a KZN title in the process. His influence extended well beyond results, helping significantly up Westville’s rugby profile in terms of being regarded as one of the country’s leading rugby programmes.

Although his exact role at Affies is yet to be confirmed, expectations are that Zander’s coaching expertise will initially be utilised within one of the school’s highly competitive A-team structures. The appointment nevertheless gives Affies another proven rugby mind as the school prepares for a new era under its incoming Director of Rugby.