Rugby coach shares his Rugby World Cup 2023 predictions | Berea ...

The 10th men’s Rugby World Cup takes place in France from September 8 to October 28 in nine venues across the country. This is the third time France has hosted the Rugby World Cup, having previously hosted the 2007 Rugby World Cup, as well as the 1991 Rugby World Cup as joint hosts with England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. In the lead-up to the global spectacle, Caxton Local Media will be interviewing rugby coaches, former Boks and fans of the game about their expectations and love for the game.

FIRST team coach and director of Rugby at Glenwood High School, Derek Heiberg, creates an environment for those he’s coaching to flourish on and off the field. Heiberg says he has had a passion for the game from as early as he can remember. “I’ve had a passion for rugby since I was young. When I stopped playing, I wanted to get into coaching because I love the game. From a coaching perspective, I wanted to create an environment for boys to flourish off the field but also to achieve their goals on the field.”

The Glenwood High School coach, who was born in Cape Town, says the first team he ever coached was a fifth team. “I started coaching back in 2002 at a high school in Cape Town, where I’m originally from – I’ve been in Durban since 2013. I started working at Glenwood in 2013 when I relocated, and my background is in strength and conditioning. I work with the College Rovers and the high school and push my teams to be the best they can be.”

Heiberg says that there are quite a few strong contenders amongst the six nations in this year’s Rugby World Cup, and he’s looking forward to watching it all go down.

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What is your earliest Rugby World Cup memory? “My earliest Rugby World Cup memory was watching it on TV in 1991, but the biggest one for me was in 1995 – I was blessed enough to be able to go to the finals when South Africa beat New Zealand – that was a very special memory for me. Seeing how the country united behind the team then is definitely my favourite Rugby World Cup moment.”

Who do you think is going to win this year? “This year’s Rugby World Cup, I think, is really challenging compared to previous years, where you could easily pick who the top two teams were, but this year, it’s very difficult. France as a home nation has shown very good form throughout the six nations – they have a very long, unbeaten test streak. The Springboks are always a force and have had a great record in the previous Rugby World Cups. New Zealand also has a great reputation, and Ireland has been performing incredibly well throughout the six nations – even though they have a poor record at World Cups, I think they’re very well coached and are definitely a team to watch out for.”

What’s the best way to watch a Springbok game? “It’s changed since I’ve become a coach. I’ve begun to watch it from a different perspective than I did when I was a player, so I prefer to watch it with family, and I enjoy watching it on my own at times, where I can really analyse the game and the plays that are made.“

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What’s the best snack to eat when watching a Springbok game? “The best snack to eat while watching the Rugby World Cup is definitely biltong with a braai either before or after the game.”

Are you one to sing the national anthem at the highest volume or do you prefer listening to others sing it? “I prefer listening to the anthem at its highest volume, but I must say it’s always a special time when you see South Africans singing and standing united behind our country, despite the adversities and difficulties we have faced as a country. We also have a proud history of playing to inspire, which I’m sure the team will do again in this World Cup.”

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