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Potchefstroom - FNB Pukke head coach Rudy Joubert has taken a two-week leave of absence after his team's poor start to the 2011 Varsity Cup - which has seen the Men from Potchefstroom suffer three successive defeats.
According to the official Varsity Cup website, Joubert has chosen to go on leave, as the powers that be at NWU-Pukke will be reviewing his time in charge of the university - having taken over the reins in 2009 when former boss Matthew Proudfoot took up a job with Western Province.
Hannes Esterhuizen, who is the Leopards' Under-21 coach (and also involved at Pukke), will take over from Joubert who could opt not to return to Potch. In that case, Esterhuizen will see out the 2011 Varsity Cup season as Pukke's new head coach.
Joubert, 49, boasts considerable coaching experience, having been part of the 1995 Rugby World Cup-winning Springbok coaching team and, also, serving on the Bok management team at the 2003 World Cup.
He has also coached the Bulls at Super Rugby level and also enjoyed a stint at Cardiff Blues in Wales as the club's Director of Rugby.
Pukke, who lost to Maties in the 2009 Varsity Cup final, also qualified for the 2010 semi-finals where they went down to the selfsame Men from Stellenbosch.
This year, however, has not made for pretty reading with Pukke suffering big defeats to Maties (32-6 in Stellenbosch), UCT (36-8 at home) and Tuks (35-10 at home).
They are currently in eighth position on the Varsity Cup log, with no log points.
According to the official Varsity Cup website, Joubert has chosen to go on leave, as the powers that be at NWU-Pukke will be reviewing his time in charge of the university - having taken over the reins in 2009 when former boss Matthew Proudfoot took up a job with Western Province.
Hannes Esterhuizen, who is the Leopards' Under-21 coach (and also involved at Pukke), will take over from Joubert who could opt not to return to Potch. In that case, Esterhuizen will see out the 2011 Varsity Cup season as Pukke's new head coach.
Joubert, 49, boasts considerable coaching experience, having been part of the 1995 Rugby World Cup-winning Springbok coaching team and, also, serving on the Bok management team at the 2003 World Cup.
He has also coached the Bulls at Super Rugby level and also enjoyed a stint at Cardiff Blues in Wales as the club's Director of Rugby.
Pukke, who lost to Maties in the 2009 Varsity Cup final, also qualified for the 2010 semi-finals where they went down to the selfsame Men from Stellenbosch.
This year, however, has not made for pretty reading with Pukke suffering big defeats to Maties (32-6 in Stellenbosch), UCT (36-8 at home) and Tuks (35-10 at home).
They are currently in eighth position on the Varsity Cup log, with no log points.
