COACH BLAAUW TAKES BORDER U/15 REINS AFTER WALTER SISULU ALL BLACKS STINT

Former Walter Sisulu All Blacks captain and assistant coach Phumlani Blaauw has been appointed Border Under-15 coach recently, bringing his experience at university level to the development of young rugby talent in the Eastern Cape.

Blaauw, who was born in Port Elizabeth, now Gqeberha, and grew up in KwaMaqoma, began playing rugby at the tender age of nine at Thornhill Primary School, where school breaks spent playing touch rugby sparked his passion for the game.

“Our rugby coach, Mr Lionel Aweries, introduced us to playing rugby,” he said.

For Blaauw, the appointment is both an honour and an opportunity to give back to the union that has shaped his rugby journey.

“Being appointed as a union coach is the same as being called up as a player to represent your union. It was an honour to be entrusted with the responsibility of heading the iQawe team. It was all about giving back to the union, hence I took up the role when the opportunity presented itself,” he said.

Blaauw's coaching philosophy extends beyond the field, with mentorship, discipline and personal development at its centre.

“Rugby means mentorship, simplifying, a happy place and joy. Knowing what rugby can do for you off the field, giving back to young kids is like setting them up for success,” he said.

His transition from assistant coach to head coach has been shaped by learning from experienced mentors, including Thembani Mkhokheli, Sabelo Kolanisi, Tiger Mangweni and Wandile Ngoma.

“If you approach an assistant role as a learning block, you will learn and be prepared to lead as well. Fortunately, the people I have assisted have been great teachers,” he said.

Leading the Border team during the Qawe Week competition marked his first provincial head-coaching assignment, an experience he described as professionally rewarding and challenging.

At Under-15 level, Blaauw plans to prioritise structured rugby, helping players master the fundamentals and understand their individual responsibilities.

“We will look to simplify roles to their simplest form for them to grasp,” he said, adding that coaching younger players requires patience and an ability to communicate effectively.

Beyond player development, the coach believes Border must address the loss of its talented players to larger unions.

“We need to turn the corner as a province by finding strategies to retain our players rather than being a supplier for the bigger unions,” Blaauw said.

With Border Under-15 reaching the Qawe Week finals for four consecutive years, Blaauw believes the province has the talent to compete.

“That tells you that when the playing ground is levelled, we as a province are up there,” he said.

By Thando Cezula