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Dobson named WP Currie Cup coach

Cape Town - John Dobson will take over from Allister Coetzee as Western Province Currie Cup coach later this year.

This follows the announcement that Coetzee will leave the union to coach the Kobelco Steelers in Japan.

Coetzee’s final release date has not been confirmed as yet (he will at least see out the 2015 Super Rugby season), but Director of Rugby Gert Smal announced that there will be a change in the management group of the Western Province Currie Cup team.

Senior forwards coach Matt Proudfoot and senior backline coach Robbie Fleck, Coetzee’s long-time assistant coaches, will continue in their respective roles with the Stormers at Super Rugby level but Smal will be utilising them elsewhere during the 2015 Currie Cup season.

Proudfoot will head up a brand new project at WP Rugby, the self-explained ‘Tight Five Factory’, whilst Fleck will become the Western Province Under-21 head coach in the second half of the season - all aimed at player development and, importantly, keeping the senior professional coaches fresh and allowing them to develop their own skills too in a different coaching environment.

Dobson (head coach) and Dawie Snyman (assistant coach - backline) will, in turn, be promoted to Currie Cup level after five successful seasons in charge of both the WP Under-21 and Vodacom Cup sides, all of which falls in line with Smal’s vision to empower all the professional coaches at the union.

Smal explained: “John Dobson and Dawie Snyman have both impressed me with their vision and, of course, their records speak for themselves - having won three trophies in five seasons and produced countless players who have moved into our Super Rugby and Currie Cup teams (and beyond).

“It was always my intention to give John and Dawie an opportunity at a higher level this season and I am positive that they will reward my faith in them and continue their progression as talented coaches. At the same time, Matt and Fleckie can spread their specialised knowledge from the bottom up - and thereby get a first-hand experience of our young talent within the union - and also develop their coaching in a new environment.

“Over the last few months we have now integrated the likes of Paul Treu, Hanyani Shimange and Rito Hlungwani into our coaching set-ups, plus we are able to use Allister Coetzee, Robbie Fleck and Matt Proudfoot in new, wider roles in the latter half of the season and, of course, (we are) set to give the likes of John and Dawie a deserved opportunity at a higher level.

“It’s an exciting time for all of our coaches, who will continue to be stimulated throughout the year, but with all of this news (and movement) now confirmed we can move into the 2015 Super Rugby season without any off-field distractions and concentrate on the job at hand.”

It remains unsure who will coach the Stormers in next year's Super Rugby competition, but reports have linked former Wallabies coach Eddie Jones to the role.


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