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15 September 2021 | Story Jóhann Thormählen | Photo Gallo Images
Swys de Bruin, a former Kovsie, has been appointed as the new Director of Coaching at the Shimlas.

A former Springbok assistant coach and a coach involved with the FNB Shimlas when they lifted the 2015 Varsity Cup will be steering the ship at the University of the Free State (UFS) over the next few years.

The UFS has appointed two renowned coaches – both alumni – in Swys de Bruin and André Tredoux as the new Director of Coaching and Head Coach of the Shimlas, respectively.

The duo will start in November 2021, with De Bruin at the helm for two years and Tredoux for three years. De Bruin, a former Springbok attack coach and a current SuperSport analyst, will be in charge of the UFS coaching structures, working alongside Tredoux at the Shimlas.

Tredoux returns to the UFS after being the head coach of the Nelson Mandela University for the Varsity Cup. He takes over from Pote Human. Human had a one-year contract with the Shimlas and has been appointed head coach of the Houston SaberCats in America.

More new faces

Another new addition to the coaching team is Tiaan Liebenberg. The former Bok was an assistant coach at the Central University of Technology in the 2021 Varsity Cup.

Hendro Scholtz and Rashied Isaacs will stay part of the UFS coaching team. 

Liebenberg, Scholtz, and Isaacs all played for the Shimlas. 

Jaco Swanepoel, Head of Rugby at KovsieSport, says the UFS is excited about what lies ahead.

Wealth of experience

De Bruin has an extensive coaching CV and has been involved with teams such as Griquas, the Sharks, and the Lions. He was an assistant coach and head coach at the Lions, winning the Currie Cup and being Super Rugby finalists in 2016, 2017, and 2018.

“It is a great privilege to get the services of someone like Swys,” Swanepoel said.

“The other coaches and the players will benefit a lot from working with him.”

Tredoux has coached at Slava Moscow in Russia, at the NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes in Japan, at Paarl Boys High, and was the U19 Head Coach and Head of Recruitment at the Cheetahs.

André Tredoux returns to the University of the Free State, where he has coached
before, to take up the role as new Head Coach of the Shimlas.(Photo: Supplied)


At the UFS, he was the Shimla performance analyst in 2015, assistant coach of the UFS Young Guns who won the 2014 Varsity Cup, and head coach of the 2015 Young Guns that came second in the tournament.

“André has walked the road with us before and has since gained experience in Japan and Russia,” Swanepoel said.

“His recruitment knowledge also speaks volumes. He was the recruiter in 2014 and 2015 when the Young Guns and the Shimlas won the Varsity Cup, respectively.

“It is great to have him back.”

The new Shimla coaching staff:

Swys de Bruin (Director of Coaching), André Tredoux (Head Coach), Hendro Scholtz, Tiaan Liebenberg, Rashied Isaacs (all assistant coaches), Mark Nicholls (Conditioning coach), Edith Maritz (Physiotherapist).


News Archive

New developments in the Faculty of Theology and Religion
2017-08-30

Description: Theology read more Tags: Faculty of Theology and Religion, name change, Prof Fanie Snyman, restructuring, teaching and research 

Bishop JM Khumalo, Apostolic Church of
Christ; Prof Fanie Snyman, Dean of the
Faculty of Theology and Religion; and
Rev Simon Galada, Wesleyan Church,
at the faculty’s official opening in
February 2017. 
Photo: Eugene Seegers



At a meeting of the UFS Council last year, a name change was accepted for the Faculty of Theology, renaming it to the Faculty of Theology and Religion. This change signals openness in approach to other religions, in addition to those of Christian denominations. This is a development that took root in Europe a few years ago. Furthermore, a growing field of interest is the study of the impact religion has had and still has, even in highly secularised societies. This name change is the first of its kind in South Africa, which means that the faculty will lead the way in transformation and impact-based religious studies.

Exciting times lie ahead
Prof Fanie Snyman, Dean of the faculty, says of these refinements: “The new name and restructuring of departments will lead to a new synergy that will have an impact on our teaching and research in the faculty. Exciting times lie ahead for the Faculty of Theology and Religion!”

Apart from the change in the name of the faculty, departments within the faculty were also regrouped, with new names. The Departments of Old Testament and New Testament merged to become the Department of Old and New Testament Studies, while the Departments of Systematic Theology and Ecclesiology merged and will now be known as the Department of Historical and Constructive Theology. The former Departments of Practical Theology and Missiology became the Department of Practical and Missional Theology. The Department of Religion Studies remained unchanged to emphasise the importance of religion in South Africa and the world at large.
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Distinction of theological disciplines
The rationale for these groupings is the distinction of theological disciplines in terms of the study of texts (Old and New Testament), sources (Systematic Theology and Church History), and practices (Practical Theology and Missiology). One benefit of these newly-constructed departments is that they will be more cost-effective, but the more important advantage is that this will stimulate discussion and research across the various theological disciplines.


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