Ivan van Rooyen has been named the Vodacom URC Coach of the Season after guiding the Lions to the playoffs for the first time.
The 44-year-old finished in top spot following a poll of the head coaches and directors of rugby in the competition.
It’s a reward which acknowledges the strides the Lions have made under him.
Last season, they finished 11th in the URC on 40 points, with eight victories from their 18 matches. This term, they claimed 10 wins and a draw to rack up 54 points and come seventh, thereby qualifying for the playoffs for the first time and securing Investec Champions Cup rugby.
They also scored the second-most points (532) and the third-most tries (73) in the league, demonstrating their attacking potency.
Plus, in a landmark achievement, they won the SA Shield for delivering the best results overall in the domestic derbies, with four victories out of six, including notable triumphs away to the Vodacom Bulls and Sharks.
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So, just what does Van Rooyen put the obvious advances his team has made down to?
“It’s probably just consistency, an alignment in what we want to do, what does it look like and what does it take,” he said. “The more clear you are about what you want to do and your identity, the easier it is.
“A lot of the time, you want to look at the outcome, but you must look at the process and what made the difference or what had the effect.
“I think the coaches and the players are really aligned about what we want and what we need. The players have also got more experience now.
“I am extremely proud of the hard work and effort that has been put in by everyone.”
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In explaining their choice of Van Rooyen for the award, fellow coaches pointed to his team performing above expectations, the great achievement of winning the SA Shield and the entertaining brand of rugby they play.
The post Cash rewarded with URC award appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Ivan van Rooyen has been named the Vodacom URC Coach of the Season after guiding the Lions to the playoffs for the first time.
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