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Cape Town - He’s been involved in the Sharks setup for a while now, but it is his work in the junior structures that have made Ryan Strudwick the perfect addition to the Sharks’ coaching team for the upcoming Currie Cup season.
Strudwick has been involved with the Sharks at U19 and U21 level and he also served as Director of Rugby at Maritzburg College, but he now steps into the role of forwards coach for the new domestic season after the departure of Brad-Macleod Henderson. It may be a step up, but Strudwick believes his history of coaching at a youth development level stands him in good stead to work with the seniors.
"I was enjoying my role here heading up the juniors," said Strudwick.
"There are a great bunch of juniors coming through and this was an opportunity one can’t turn down. I’ve been involved in the setup on and off for seven to eight years. It’s an opportunity you take with both hands and give it a full go.
"For me, there’s not much difference between working with juniors or seniors. I’ve worked with most of the guys in the Currie Cup squad anyway.
"There are a couple of new guys who I haven’t dealt with before, but that’s an opportunity to see how they have developed from U19s all the way through."
Strudwick hoped that his familiarity with the players in the squad would lead to a good working relationship with them.
"They’re used to the way I coach. They responded nicely to me before and hopefully they carry on with the same kind of mind-set," said Strudwick.
"It’s an opportunity to develop them even further and get them to higher honours."
The new Currie Cup season starts on August 8.
