Incoming Sharks CEO Eduard Coetzee says their next Vodacom Super Rugby coach needs to fit in with the franchise’s culture and values.
The Sharks announced on Wednesday that Coetzee would be taking over from Gary Teichmann as CEO, while also stating that they had amicably parted ways with Robert du Preez.
Du Preez has endured a turbulent time at the helm of the Sharks, with the Durban-based side finishing eighth in Vodacom Super Rugby in 2017 and 2018, while he also courted controversy towards the end of the Sharks’ Super Rugby campaign this year when he labelled certain critical sections of the media as ‘cockroaches’.
Sean Everitt was appointed as Currie Cup coach, with the side having already kicked off their campaign last weekend.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Coetzee said there will be a strong emphasis on the Sharks’ culture when it comes to deciding who replaces Du Preez.
‘I can’t say how long it is going to take,’ Coetzee said. ‘We will know when we find him. It is more important to say what the characteristics of that person are. The Sharks have got a very unique culture. It is a culture that made me want to leave the [Vodacom] Bulls in 1999 and move to Durban.
‘It is something that you can’t write on a board, it is something that you can’t define. It is the way we treat people. If a coach has the right skills and he believes in that culture, then he will be the right man.’
Coetzee added that the Sharks will follow due process in appointing their next coach in order to ensure he fits in with the franchise’s values.
‘We are looking for that person and maybe it is not necessary to go overseas, maybe he is local. We are going through a proper process, making sure that we look under every rock to find this person.
‘We will go through a process where we interview them and make sure that when he comes here, he understands what the Sharks are about, what the Sharks culture is and what the future and the vision is. The person that can tick those boxes will be the man.’
Photo: Gerhard Duraan/BackpagePix
