Swys de Bruin Breaks Silence on Springbok Women Resignation: 'It's Not About Money'
- Swys de Bruin spoke out after his surprise resignation as Springbok Women head coach drew widespread attention
- De Bruin dismissed reports that a bonus dispute with SA Rugby had prompted his exit from the role
- SA Rugby confirmed his former assistants will continue leading the Bok Women as co-coaches
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Swys de Bruin has addressed his sudden departure as head coach of the Springbok Women, firmly rejecting suggestions that a financial disagreement with SA Rugby was behind his decision to step down.
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De Bruin spoke to Netwerk24 on Friday, 5 September 2026, in his first public comments since the news broke. He clarified that his resignation had been submitted well before it became public and that the announcement was deliberately delayed until after the Bok Women's Test against New Zealand's Black Ferns at FNB Stadium on Saturday.
De Bruin dismisses bonus dispute claims
The former Lions head coach was direct in countering the narrative that had taken hold in rugby circles.
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"Let me put it very simply, it's not as big a story as it's being made out to be. I submitted my resignation a long time ago," he said.
"There's really nothing funny about it, I'm just moving on. For me it's a new season. It's not a case of me having a psychological setback or there being a dispute about money."
De Bruin joined the Bok Women's programme as high-performance coach in August 2024. During his tenure, he guided the team to a historic milestone: a first-ever quarter-final appearance at the Rugby World Cup in 2025.
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Co-coaches to take the reins
SA Rugby confirmed on Thursday that Laurian Johannes-Haupt and Franzel September, both previously De Bruin's assistants, would continue in the role as co-coaches. The pair had already taken charge of the Bok Women during fixtures in Fiji and at the African tournament held in Kenya, giving them prior experience leading the squad without De Bruin at the helm.
No replacement head coach has been announced at this stage.
Swys De Bruin’s Springbok Women legacy recognised
Briefly News also reported that Swys de Bruin was among the nominees for the 2025 SA Rugby Awards after guiding the Springbok Women through a historic campaign.
De Bruin earned recognition in the Coach of the Year category after the team reached the Women’s Rugby World Cup quarter-finals for the first time.
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Source: Briefly News
