Download or read book Heyneke Meyer written by Marco Botha and published by Jonathan Ball Publishers. This book was released on 2014-10-01 with total page 218 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Brilliant advice and insights from Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer. This ebook is drawn from Marco Botha's recently published book Coach. At 34, Heyneke Meyer was fired as head coach of a Super Rugby team for the second time. But when on 19 May 2007 his Bulls side became the first South African team to capture the Super title, the dark years at Loftus Versfeld were suddenly forgotten. And Meyer was regarded as the coach among coaches. Because it is there - on the playing field - that coaches and players are judged. And yet the scoreboard never tells the full story of how people achieved success 'overnight'. In Meyer's case it was an arduous journey of more than seven years during which he defined and changed professional rugby. This is leadership. And leadership is what Heyneke Meyer is about - someone who has fundamentally changed a sport, an industry, a way of thinking, and, ultimately, lives. Marco Botha, specialist reporter at Die Burger in Cape Town, sat in conversation with Heyneke Meyer and interpreted his success story in his engrossing narrative writing style.
Download or read book The Springbok Coaches written by Gavin Rich and published by Penguin Random House South Africa. This book was released on 2016-07-12 with total page 504 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Was coach Heyneke Meyer the reason why the Springboks failed at the 2015 Rugby World Cup? And what does the future have in store for the incumbent coach, Allister Coetzee? Find these answers, and many others, in The Springbok Coaches. In this new, updated edition of The Poisoned Chalice, rugby writer Gavin Rich takes us past the disappointment of the 2015 Rugby World Cup right up to the appointment of Allister Coetzee in April 2016, and dissects not only the successes and failures of these two Springbok coaches, but of all the post-isolation coaches who preceded them. If all of them agree on one thing, it is that the job goes hand in hand with tremendous pressure and that, at some point, they all buckled under the strain. This book reveals why André Markgraaff and Rudolf Straeuli came up with some of their weird and controversial decisions, why Nick Mallett dropped Gary Teichmann and how he regrets it now, why Harry Viljoen really quit, and why the pressures on Heyneke Meyer made it so much more difficult for the Springboks to win the 2015 Rugby World Cup. This book chronicles all the post-isolation coaches’ experiences via interviews, articles and stats. From the triumphs to the controversies, the boardroom to the rugby field, The Springbok Coaches will reveal exactly what it takes to be the Bok coach, and why each and every one of them had, at some time or another in the toughest job in South African sport, lost it. A riveting, often revelatory and definitely controversial read!
Download or read book Coach written by Marco Botha and published by Jonathan Ball Publishers. This book was released on 2014-05-21 with total page 442 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At 34, Heyneke Meyer was fired as head coach of a Super Rugby team for the second time. But when on 19 May 2007 his Bulls side became the first South African team to capture the Super title, the dark years at Loftus Versfeld were suddenly forgotten. And Meyer was regarded as the coach among coaches. Because it is there - on the playing field - that coaches and players are judged. And yet the scoreboard never tells the full story of how people achieved success overnight'. In Meyer's case it was an arduous journey of more than seven years during which he defined and changed professional rugby. This is leadership. And leadership is what Coach is about - people who have fundamentally changed a sport, an industry, a way of thinking, and, ultimately, lives. Marco Botha sat in conversation with some of South Africa's foremost sports leaders and interprets their diverse success stories in his narrative writing style. From Meyer to Brendan Venter, who helped turn Saracens into a super club and the Sharks into the 2013 Currie Cup champions. As an international hockey player, Sherylle Calder noticed something special' about her own visual abilities and researched this together with Professor Tim Noakes. The Eye Lady' was instrumental in England (2003) and South Africa (2007) winning the Rugby World Cup and Ernie Els bagging his second British Open golf title in 2012. Former Springbok Sevens coach Paul Treu advanced rugby sevens as a world sport by regularly getting his team to tower above seemingly superior sides. One innovation at a time. Gary Kirsten and Paddy Upton guided the Indian national cricket team to glory with a leadership style that empowered players and developed them as human beings - the new school' of coaching. With the same approach they helped the Proteas become the number one team in the world in all three formats of the game. These remarkable leaders have made champions out of ordinary people. And the reasons for this will certainly surprise you . . .
Download or read book Die Baan Brekers written by Marco Botha and published by Jonathan Ball Publishers. This book was released on 2014-04-02 with total page 423 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Hoe Suid-Afrikaanse Sportleiers Kampioene Slyp. Heyneke Meyer was 34 jaar oud toe hy vir die tweede keer as die hoofafrigter van 'n Superrugby-span afgedank is. Maar toe sy Bulls-span op 19 Mei 2007 die eerste Suid-Afrikaanse span word om die Super-titel te wen, was die donker jare op Loftus Versfeld skielik vergete en Meyer oornag almal se breier sonder gelyke'. Want dis net daar - op die speelveld - dat afrigters en spelers beoordeel word. En tog vertel die telbord nooit die volle verhaal van hoe mense oornag' sukses behaal het nie. Vir Meyer was dit 'n strawwe reis van meer as 7 jaar - 'n tydperk waarin hy beroepsrugby gedefinieer en verander het. En dit is leierskap. En leierskap is waaroor Die Baanbrekers gaan - mense wat 'n sportsoort, 'n bedryf of 'n manier van dink en uiteindelik daardeur ook lewens onherroeplik verander het. Marco Botha het met van Suid-Afrika se vernaamste sportleiers gesels en hy ontleed hier hul uiteenlopende suksesverhale. Van Meyer tot Brendan Venter, wat van Saracens 'n superklub en in 2013 van die Haaie die Curriebeker-kampioen gehelp maak het deur 'n kultuur te vestig waar gelukkige mense belangriker as silwerware geag word. Ook die voormalige Springbok-sewesafrigter Paul Treu het die blitskode as 'n wêreldsport bevorder deur sy span gereeld met innovasie op innovasie bo oënskynlik baie beter spanne te laat uittroon. Gary Kirsten en Paddy Upton het die Indiese en daarna die Suid-Afrikaanse krieketspan na wêreldoorheersing gelei met 'n leierskapstyl wat spelers bemagtig en as mense ontwikkel het - die nuwe skool' van afrigting. Hierdie merkwaardige leiers het van gewone mense kampioene gemaak. En die redes daarvoor gaan jou beslis verras . . .
Download or read book Politically Incorrect written by Peter de Villiers and published by Penguin Random House South Africa. This book was released on 2012-05-25 with total page 378 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Throughout his tenure as the first black Springbok coach, Peter de Villiers was in the news, and not always for the right reasons. His battle to be accepted and respected by the rugby fraternity started from the moment his appointment was announced, when his new boss admitted that De Villiers had got the job for reasons ‘other than only rugby’. In his four years as Bok coach, De Villiers experienced huge successes – a series win over the British & Irish Lions and a Tri Nations trophy – but he also suffered the ignominy of coming last in the Tri Nations and seeing his World Cup dream shattered by the controversial officiating of referee Bryce Lawrence. In addition, his outspoken nature and colourful application of the metaphor alternately amused and horrified South African rugby fans, and his close relationship with his senior players begged the question: Who was coaching whom? Now, in his autobiography, De Villiers answers this question and addresses many more: How he managed to progress from the dusty streets of Paarl as a rugby-mad youngster to the highest job in South African rugby; why his employers tried to manipulate him but failed; why he stuck with John Smit as captain in the 2011 Rugby World Cup; and where his passion for rugby will lead him next. If rugby fans thought they knew Peter de Villiers before reading this book, they will think differently afterwards.
Download or read book Rassie written by Rassie Erasmus and published by Pan Macmillan South africa. This book was released on 2023-08-01 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Rassie Erasmus has been called a genius. He’s been called reckless. All his life, he’s done things differently. Now, with his trademark candour, Rassie talks openly about his adventures and misadventures. He reveals the turmoil of living with an alcoholic father and growing up in the conservative town of Despatch. He looks back on an exemplary career as a player, whose innate rugby instincts, ability to read a game differently, and appetite for hard work set him apart. While his teammates relaxed, he preferred to watch hours of video to devise winning strategies. When given the opportunity to lead his country as Springbok captain, he refused the honour. Rassie recalls how he became an important cog in Nick Mallett’s record-breaking Springbok team of the late 1990s. He remembers the anguish of the 1999 World Cup and the devastating injuries that cut short his playing career. He discusses his revolutionary coaching methods, which were initially laughed off and then eagerly adopted, how he fought the rugby establishment at the Stormers and earned the respect of Irish fans at Munster. Rassie talks about his greatest contribution to South African rugby, appointing its first black captain, Siya Kolisi, without much fanfare or controversy, as his bold plans for effective racial transformation of the national team achieved immediate success, culminating in triumph at the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Readers will enjoy the behind-the-scenes information about interactions and controversies and previously untold stories from a truly maverick life.
Download or read book The Number 10s written by Chris Schoeman and published by Penguin Random House South Africa. This book was released on 2011-03-28 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Throughout the history of rugby, it has been the flyhalves who have gripped the imagination of rugby supporters the most. Arguably the most crucial position on the rugby field, a flyhalf can almost single-handedly win a game for his team (remember Naas Botha’s 1987 Currie Cup final, and Joel Stransky’s drop kick in the 1995 World Cup final?). South Africa has produced some of the most famous flyhalves in international rugby, and The Number 10s covers their and other remarkable players’ stories. From an older era, there are Bennie Osler, Tony Harris, Hansie Brewis (who never lost a Test), Keith Oxlee and Naas Botha; and, more recently, Henry Honiball, Joel Stransky and Morné Steyn. The Number 10s also relives several of the magic moments of rugby’s generals, such as the brilliance of Bennie Osler (1928), Tony Harris (1937) and Naas Botha (1981) versus the All Blacks; Jannie de Beer versus England at the 1999 World Cup; and Derick Hougaard in the 2002 Currie Cup final. A fascinating and informative read for rugby fans of all ages.
Download or read book Our Blood is Green written by Gavin Rich and published by Birlinn Ltd. This book was released on 2020-10-15 with total page 452 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The leaping Springbok on the green jersey of South Africa is one of the most iconic emblems in world rugby. At the same time, no symbol in world sport has ever done so much to divide – and then unite – a nation. Respected by opponents and supported passionately by South Africans, the Springboks have been a powerhouse rugby nation for over a century, yet the emblem that now sits alongside the Protea on the chests of the players was once a symbol of violent oppression in apartheid South Africa, the epitome of the white man's dominance over people of colour in the Republic. Told in the words of Springboks past and present, Our Blood is Green explores what it means to play for South Africa – from schoolboy dreams to the sacrifices required to make it to the very top – as well as the myriad difficulties the players have faced over the years, from the horrors of apartheid through to the emerging rainbow nation in the 1990s and the multi-cultural World Cup-winning team of today. It is a fascinating, powerful and poignant read that explores the unity of a brotherhood that fights to transcend race, culture and class while simultaneously striving to become the best team on the planet. Our Blood is Green examines what it truly means to be a Springbok and it is told the only way it can be – by the players themselves.
Download or read book Touch Pause Engage written by Liz Mcgregor and published by Jonathan Ball Publishers. This book was released on 2011-08-29 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: South Africa is a land of contrasts, as the tourist brochures promise, and this is true for the game of rugby. From the Pretoria heartland to the aspirant Eastern Cape, from the hardscrabble Cape Flats to the islands of privilege at Bishops and Grey College. No other rugby-playing nation has to grapple with so much diversity. Different languages, classes, races and cultures - each bearing the wounds of the country's fractured past - have to be melded into winning teams. Liz McGregor has spent the past three years shadowing Currie Cup, Super 14 and Springbok teams across the country, and has come to the conclusion that it is this very diversity, combined with the pain of the past and the dreams of a great united future, that provide the elusive alchemy that separates a good team from a great one. Touch, Pause, Engage! is more than a book about rugby. It is an intimate look at how South Africa's erstwhile elite is adapting to its new circumstances. Team South Africa has been through many a maul and bruising scrum, but is inching closer and closer to the tryline. Liz McGregor is a veteran author and journalist who started off her career on leading South African newspapers and subsequently moved to Britain where she worked for the Guardian for several years. Her first book, Khabzela: The Life and Times of a South African, laid bare the complex reasoning behind a DJ's refusal to take medication to stave off AIDS. She has co-edited and contributed to two collections of essays: At Risk and Load-shedding.
Download or read book Vuvuzela Dawn written by Luke Alfred and published by Pan Macmillan South africa. This book was released on 2019-04-01 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 2019, South Africa celebrates 25 years of democracy and the freedom that turned the country from a political pariah to one warmly embraced by the world. Nowhere was the welcome more visible, or more emotional, than in sport. Vuvuzela Dawn tells the stories of that return. From Bafana Bafana’s Africa Cup of Nations win to the fabled ‘438’Proteas game, we go behind the scenes of the great moments and record-breaking triumphs from 1994 to the present. From Caster Semenya and Wayde van Niekerk to Benni McCarthy and Kevin Anderson, from twin World Cup rugby victories to the traumas of Kamp Staaldraad and Hansie Cronjé, Vuvuzela Dawn reveals the sporting dramas and passions that defined a quarter century.
Download or read book The Poisoned Chalice written by Gavin Rich and published by Penguin Random House South Africa. This book was released on 2013-10-10 with total page 291 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Springboks have had several post-isolation coaches, and if they agree on nothing else, they will concur that everyone in the job suffers enormous pressure. Unlike coaches from other rugby-playing countries, they also face many obstacles outside of the game, such as South Africa’s complicated politics and the often unrealistic expectations of both the public and the media. It has been called a poisoned chalice, and everyone, from the first post-isolation coach, John Williams, to the incumbent, Heyneke Meyer, can attest to its veracity. Now, for the first time, their journeys are recorded in one book, and as part of one story. The Poisoned Chalice takes an in-depth look at each of the coaches in the post-apartheid years, and at the same time examines how the role has evolved over the past two decades. From the triumphs to the controversies, the boardroom to the rugby field, this book reveals exactly what it takes to be the Bok coach, and why each and every one of them, at some time or another in the toughest job in South African sport, lost it. A riveting, often revelatory and definitely controversial read!
Download or read book Zapiro written by Zapiro and published by Jacana Media. This book was released on 2012 with total page 162 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Chronicling South Africa's 2012 politics and the state of the nation, this humorous compilation by one of the country's most well-known political satirists also delves into more personal topics. From President Zuma's five million rand court case against cartoonist Zapiro to the African National Congress's court action against Brett Murray, this book exposes the South African national conscience throughout 2012.
Download or read book More than Rugby written by Pierre Spies and published by Penguin Random House South Africa. This book was released on 2012-09-28 with total page 270 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: You might never play rugby again.' Everything that I had done for the largest part of my life had been centred around rugby, so you can imagine the shock I experienced on hearing that. But if you thought that was bad - there's more. The doctor went on to say that I could even die. That was the truly devastating part! From being on cloud nine - selected for the Springbok squad to go to the World Cup - I had been hit with shattering news that was more than enough to knock the wind out of my sails. I couldn't believe it - just when my career was beginning to soar. Being a top scorer in the winning Super 14 team, giving great performances in the Tri Nations and against England at Loftus, getting selected into the Springbok squad for the World Cup - and now this? These are the words of Pierre Spies, capped as a Springbok aged 21 only to be told a year later that he may never play rugby again. In More than Rugby, Spies, one of the most imposing and explosive loose forwards that South Africa has ever produced, shares his own story for the first time: his family life, his numerous sporting triumphs, and his faith. Much more than a sports biography, this is the moving, personal story behind the well-loved 'No. 8' of South African rugby. With a Foreword by Victor Matfield and contributions from Morné Steyn, Bryan Habana and Juan Smith.
Download or read book Making Champions How South Africa s sporting heroes are made written by Michael Jenkins and published by Penguin Random House South Africa. This book was released on 2013-08-01 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a journey into the histories, hearts and homes of some of South Africa's greatest sporting heroes. Featuring the varied and very human stories of 13 icons of our time, including AB de Villiers, Ryan Sandes, 'Beast' Mtawarira, and Bridgitte Hartley, the book shows that it takes far more than natural talent to transform an athlete into the best that sport has to offer. Making Champions is an answer to the question: what goes into achieving champion status? It tells of the battles these sports stars have lost and won in their desire to set themselves apart from others just as gifted and aspiring for success. In the process, it equips all South Africans aiming to achieve in whatever field with the knowledge of the decisions and sacrifices these athletes have made, and the habits they have adopted on their way to the top.
Download or read book The Springboks and the Holy Grail written by Dan Retief and published by Penguin Random House South Africa. This book was released on 2011-06-27 with total page 448 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the epic story of South Africa’s amazing quests for the Rugby World Cup, which resulted in triumph at Ellis Park in 1995 and in Paris in 2007, while there was heartbreak in 1999 and shame in 2003. The Springboks and the Holy Grail is no mere narration of matches and scores. The author was closely involved in all four RWC campaigns while working for the Sunday Times and SuperSport, and he provides behind-the-scenes reportage on the great cast and incredible incidents that made for such riveting drama. This is a story of human heroism and frailty, of great dignity and patent jealousy that transcends the mere realm of sport. The book contains numerous interviews with key players and administrators, as well as well-known figures who were touched by these campaigns, and provides a fascinating insight into an event which is now one of the biggest in the world of sport. This is a candid glimpse behind the scenes that often reads like pure fiction.
Download or read book Victor My Journey written by Victor Matfield and published by Penguin Random House South Africa. This book was released on 2011-11-05 with total page 499 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As one of the most capped Springboks ever, Victor Matfield is a national hero who transcends rugby provincialism and has fans across the world. His rugby exploits and achievements are numerous: he was an instrumental part of the team that won the 2007 Rugby World Cup, he helped win two Tri Nations tournaments for the Boks, he has lifted the Super 14 trophy three times with the Bulls and he has enjoyed Currie Cup glory. In his much-anticipated autobiography, he opens up about his life, from growing up as a shy boy in Pietersburg to moving to Pretoria, where he had to learn the hard way about dealing with the pleasures of life as a talented young rugby player. He talks frankly about his issues with coaches, including his mentor Heyneke Meyer, Pieter de Villiers and former Bok coach Jake White, who once tried to physically attack him. Victor also discusses Kamp Staaldraad, the Bulls’ lack of form in his final season, the controversial refereeing decisions that led to the Boks’ quarter-final departure from the Rugby World Cup in 2011 and his retirement from rugby. This is undoubtedly the one book every rugby fan will want to read.
Download or read book Behind the Rose written by Stephen Jones and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2014-11-08 with total page 580 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A complete history of the England rugby union team—told by the players themselves: “Superb.” —ESPN Scrum Based on a combination of painstaking research into the early years of the England team and exclusive interviews with a vast array of Test match stars from before World War II to the present day, this book delves into the very heart of the English international rugby union experience, painting a unique and utterly compelling picture of the game in the only words that can truly do so: the players’ own. This is the definitive story of English Test match rugby—a story etched in blood, sweat and tears; a story of great joy and heartbreaking sorrow; a story of sacrifice, agony, endeavor, and triumph. Behind the Rose lifts the lid on what it is to play for England: the trials and tribulations behind the scenes, the glory, the drama and the honor on the field, and the tales of friendship and humor off it. Absorbing and illuminating, this is a must-have for all supporters who have ever dreamed of walking the hallowed corridors of Twickenham as a Test match player, preparing themselves for battle in the changing rooms and then marching out to that field of dreams with the deafening roar of the crowd in their ears and the red rose emblazoned on their chest. “A historical treasure trove.” —The Guardian Includes photos
