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31 January 2020 | Story Ruan Bruwer | Photo Gallo Images
Three Kovsies in Springbok coaching team
Rassie Erasmus (left), director of rugby at the South African Rugby Union, congratulates Jacques Nienaber on being the new Springbok head coach, the position Erasmus previously filled. Both are former students of the University of the Free State.
The appointment of Jacques Nienaber as the new Springbok head coach means that a former Kovsie will once again coach the Springbok team. Nienaber takes over from Rassie Erasmus, another Kovsie alumnus.

It was also announced that Daan Human, like Erasmus a former Shimla player who went on to play for the Springboks, will be the scrum consultant. Erasmus will continue in the role of director of rugby and will be part of the Springbok coaching team, which means that half of the six coaches in the team can call themselves Kovsies. 

Nienaber joined Erasmus in the Springbok coaching team in February 2018 as defensive coach. At the 2019 Rugby World Cup, the Springboks conceded the fewest tries (four) of all the teams. Erasmus will be responsible for the strategy and results, with Nienaber taking operational control. 

It will be the first time Nienaber steps into a head-coach role. He started as physiotherapist with the Shimlas U20 team, before going into strength and conditioning and later becoming a defence coach.“This is a massive honour and responsibility, but I think I have a good understanding of what it entails, especially in this new structure. It’s a big step-up for me. I would not have accepted if I didn’t believe I could be successful,” said the 47-year-old Nienaber.

“I’ve been worked with Rassie in a coaching capacity for nearly two decades now and we have a very good idea of how each of us thinks.” The two first worked together in the Shimlas U20 team, where Erasmus was the captain and Nienaber the physio.

Besides Nienaber, two other former Shimlas are currently in a head-coach role – Neil Powell at the Springbok Sevens team and Franco Smith is coaching the Italian national team.


News Archive

Vice-Chancellor honoured with major awards
2013-05-02

02 May 2013

The University of the Free State (UFS) is proud to announce that Prof Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector, has been awarded a number of major awards recently.

The University of California in the United States awarded him the Alice and Clifford Spendlove Prize in Social Justice, Diplomacy and Tolerance. The award is made in recognition of persons who exemplify in their work the delivery of social justice, diplomacy and tolerance in the diverse local and global society.

“The committee was very impressed with the commitment that Prof Jansen has had to reconciliation and forgiveness as a way to build bridges and to find common ground. Prof Jansen is following in the steps of many of our greatest peace-time leaders and we support his efforts to bring understanding to all cultures,” said Mark Aldenderfer, chair of the awards committee and Dean of the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Art at the University of California.

Prof Jansen also received the 2013 Academia Award at the Sixth Annual Ubuntu Lecture and Dialogue Awards Ceremony of the Turquoise Harmony Institute on 4 April 2013 in Johannesburg. The Institute aims to foster relations among different faith and cultural traditions to contribute to the well-being of humanity.

According to the organisers, “outstanding individuals who made noteworthy contributions to dialogue, peace and harmony in the society,” are given recognition during the ceremony. The awards are made in a number of different categories. Prof Jansen was among the recipients who included Graca Machel and the South African National Editors Forum (SANEF). Previous winners of Turquoise Awards include Ahmed Kathrada, Chester Williams, Dr Frene Ginwala and Prof Russel Botman.

On 10 May 2013, Prof Jansen was also honoured by Kappa Delta Pi International Honour Society in Education. He was awarded membership of the Laureate Chapter of the society founded in 1911 which “is comprised of men and women who have made distinguished contributions to education, and is limited to 60 living persons”. Prof Jansen joins an exclusive membership of 293 which includes such luminaries as Albert Einstein, Eleanor Roosevelt, Jean Piaget and George Washington Carver.

Also in the United States, Prof Jansen has been invited to be Messenger Lecturer for Fall 2013 at Cornell University. He will give three lectures and interact with the students and staff of Cornell at various functions.

“This is a significant honour and it will really allow members from across the university to get a deeper appreciation of the work you are doing at UFS and in South Africa more broadly,” said Prof Judith Byfield of Cornell’s Department of History and Director of Graduate Studies at the department’s Africana Studies and Research Centre.

On the local front, City Press published its inaugural 100 World Class South Africans on 28 April 2013. During a rigorous selection process, 100 of our country’s most extraordinary citizens who have achieved world-class status were chosen. Prof Jansen’s achievements procured him a place on this prestigious list in the category: Heroes and Mavericks.

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