SA Rugby President Mark Alexander has thanked Swys de Bruin following his departure as Springbok Women head coach at the end of August 2026, after two years in the role.
De Bruin joined SA Rugby's High-Performance Department in August 2024 and moved into leading the Springbok Women's coaching group ahead of the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup in England. The team reached the quarter-finals — their best-ever result at the tournament — before falling to the Black Ferns, and broke into the World Rugby top 10 for the first time during his tenure.
His record of 14 wins from 21 matches included victories over Japan, Italy and the USA, all ranked above South Africa at the time of those results, as well as wins against the Barbarians Women and the Black Ferns XV in Cape Town.
Alexander credited De Bruin with raising both the profile of the women's programme and its commercial appeal. "Swys quickly endeared himself to fans and supporters of the women's game and that connection contributed to the growing support behind the Springbok Women. It also attracted greater corporate backing," Alexander said.
He singled out De Bruin's tactical identity as a defining legacy, specifically referencing the 14-player lineout and a maul set up from a scrum during the World Cup quarter-final against the Black Ferns as moments that captured broad attention.
Alexander also noted De Bruin's broader contribution to SA Rugby's High-Performance coaching structures, saying his ability to transfer knowledge to both players and coaches had left a lasting impression on the current coaching group.
Assistants Franzel September and Laurian Johannes-Haupt will take over as co-head coaches for the remainder of the season. The Springbok Women face Wales, Italy, Spain and Ireland in the WXV Global Series, with SA Rugby indicating additional coaching support will be added to the set-up as needed.