Swys de Bruin says Springbok Women exit was about moving on, not unpaid bonuses

Swys de Bruin has rejected speculation that unpaid bonuses were behind his resignation as head coach of the Springbok Women, saying he had decided it was time to move on.

Reports of his departure attracted significant attention earlier this week, but Netwerk24 said the decision was not linked to a dispute over bonus payments. De Bruin also dismissed suggestions that he had abandoned the team by stepping down before a major home fixture against the Black Ferns.

“The assistant coaches knew about it. The accusations that I am letting the team down by just leaving are untrue, I am just moving on, the last two years have been the best in my career as coach, I have been blessed,” De Bruin said.

The speculation intensified after De Bruin did not travel with the squad to Fiji. Instead, he remained in South Africa and worked with a group of players who had been left behind.

That decision led to suggestions that financial disagreements, including unpaid bonuses, may have contributed to his departure. De Bruin’s comments have now put forward a different explanation, with the former head coach describing the move as a personal decision to begin the next stage of his career.

His resignation comes just before the Springbok Women host the Black Ferns in a historic home match in Soweto on Saturday. The fixture will be played in front of a home crowd, with the team preparing for one of the most significant matches of the current period following De Bruin’s departure.

Junior Boks assistant coach Melusi Mthethwa will help lead the team for the match. He will work alongside De Bruin’s former assistants, Laurian Johannes-Haupt and Franzel September.

The coaching arrangement means the Springbok Women will face New Zealand without De Bruin on the touchline, despite his involvement in preparing the wider group of players who stayed in South Africa while the team travelled to Fiji.

De Bruin described the previous two years as the best of his coaching career and said he had felt blessed during his time with the Springbok Women. His statement also made clear that the assistant coaches were aware of his decision, countering claims that his departure had caught the coaching staff or players by surprise.

The focus now turns to Saturday’s match in Soweto, where Mthethwa, Johannes-Haupt and September will oversee the Springbok Women against the Black Ferns.

Kick-off is at 13:30.