Albert van den Berg, who has accepted an assistant coaching gig in Wales, doesn’t feel that there are “clear coaching pathways” in South Africa.
Van den Berg left his position as forwards coach with the Lions at the end of April, and last week was confirmed to be joining Vodacom United Rugby Championship outfit Scarlets next season.
In a wide-ranging interview with Sport24, the 51-Test former Springbok addressed his exit at the Lions while also highlighting the challenges facing young coaches in the Republic.
“I spoke to someone recently at one of the unions about coaching and pathways and, in SA, I don’t feel we have clear coaching pathways,” Van den Berg told Sport24.
“What I mean by this is that I started at the Sharks Academy between 2013 and 2015, so, if there was a clear coaching pathway, along with travelling education and detailed plans, I feel this is something that doesn’t exist for the majority of SA coaches.
“Opportunities do come, but if you sign someone as a coach, it’s generally a two-year stint where, in the first year, you’re still finding your feet, getting used to players and systems.
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“In your second year, your eyes start to clear and get better, but it’s also the time when other opportunities are being put on the table.
“You almost want something like a three-plus-one-year where you can see the directed investment by the union, and you can see the succession plan in your final year. You do tend to get stale when you’ve been with a team for too long.”
The 49-year-old parted ways with the Lions in the midst of a MyPlayers survey saga that was poorly handled, but harbours no ill-will against his former employer.
“The off-field issues were purely admin and contracting matters. We all look at problems differently, but the guys who come with the solutions need to make them work,” he said.
“My frustration was purely around the implementation of solutions where I felt there was no action taken on some of the stuff, because we didn’t see some of the things the same way.
“The players remain the asset and they need to be looked after, with everything in place so that the only thing they need to do is to perform.”
Photo: Steve Haag/Gallo Images