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Pumas snap up former Cavaliers coach

Nelspruit - The Pumas have confirmed the appointment of Brent Janse van Rensburg as their new head coach.

Janse van Rensburg’s appointment is effective from the start of the 2017 season, Mpumalanga Rugby PTY LTD announced on Wednesday night.

After extensive consultation, Janse van Rensburg - who is one of the 2016 nominees for the South African Rugby Union (SARU) Coach of the Year - signed a three-year contract with the Pumas.

MJ Mentz and Hein Kriek will stay on as assistant coaches to offer their valuable experience and support to Janse van Rensburg.

“We are very excited at the appointment of Janse van Rensburg, who has already proven himself as an excellent head coach at the Boland Cavaliers and in previous positions. He is an experienced and high-quality coach and we are fully confident that, with the assistance of the existing coaching staff, he will add immense value to the provincial side,” said Mpumalanga Rugby CEO Pieter Burger.

Burger added that it is important to invest in the game at provincial level.

Janse van Rensburg started his coaching career at the South African Institute of Rugby. He was subsequently professional coach at Queen’s College, before guiding the Border Craven Week team to eight wins out of nine matches in charge and becoming involved with the Border Currie Cup and Vodacom Cup teams.

He has been a successful head coach for Varsity Cup side NMMU Madibaz and the assistant coach for the South African Universities Team.  

In 2014, he was appointed as director of rugby at the prestigious Grey High School, and then moved to Johannesburg for a brief stint as the Golden Lions high performance coach.

In June 2015, he was appointed as head coach for the EP Kings. Janse van Rensburg gained high acclaim for guiding the Boland Cavaliers to the Currie Cup Premier Division as head coach in 2016.

Janse van Rensburg will relocate to Nelspruit with his wife Liesel at the end of this year.

“I’m very excited and extremely thankful for the opportunity to join what is a great union. The Pumas have had good success in the past, and are very competitive, whilst the structures and facilities at the union are first-class. I look forward to the head coach challenge and working to move the side forward,” Janse van Rensburg said.

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