Lwazi Zangqa from Border has been named as the new head coach of the SA Schools side, and he will be assisted by the Bulls’ Cobus van Dyk, while the SA Schools ‘A’ team will be coached by Flash Malinga of KwaZulu-Natal, with Clinton van Rensburg of Western Province named as his assistant.
SA Rugby has confirmed the coaching and management teams for the SA Schools and SA U18 squads on Thursday, with a strong focus on continuity, quality, qualifications, and succession planning.
Zangqa (Hudson Park High School) was SA Schools assistant coach last year and he is also a former SA Schools Academy head coach, while Van Dyk (Hoërskool Waterkloof) was one of the specialist coaches for both the SA Schools and SA Schools ‘A’ teams in 2023 and 2024.
Malinga, a former Bulls Daisies head coach, was in charge of the Junior Springbok Women last year. He accepted a teaching and coaching role with Maritzburg College at the end of 2023. Van Rensburg (Rondebosch Boys’ High School) has led the DHL WP U18 Craven Week team to success over the past three years.
All four coaches are World Rugby Level 3 certified and have been integral to SA Rugby’s Elite Player Development (EPD) Programme, ensuring alignment with national high-performance objectives.
“I want to congratulate each of these coaches on their well-deserved appointments,” said SA Rugby CEO, Rian Oberholzer.
“We thank them for their continued commitment to developing young talent and wish them every success as they embrace this opportunity. Their involvement is a testament to the strength of our EPD system and the quality of coaching emerging from our schools. We are confident they will play a vital role in shaping the future of South African rugby.”
SA Rugby’s head coach of Junior Rugby, Kevin Foote, will oversee the coaching framework and mentor the appointed coaches. SA Rugby’s integration of the SA U20 coaches – Foote, Lumumba Currie, and Melusi Mthethwa – into the SA Schools and U18 structures is a strategic move to ensure a seamless transition for both players and coaches progressing through the ranks.
Foote said: “This structure ensures our junior teams are aligned with national strategies, while also giving our coaches the tools to grow within a high-performance environment.”
The EPD Programme continues to produce top-tier coaching talent, with recent success stories including former SA Schools coaches James Winstanley, Phiwe Nomlomo, and Wessel du Plessis at the Bulls, and Mzwakhe Nkosi at the Golden Lions.
The SA Schools teams will play their traditional fixture against each other on Thursday, 17 July at 15h00 at HTS Middelburg, following the FNB U18 Craven Week, which takes place from 6 to 12 July 2025 at Hoërskool Middelburg. Details of the SA U18 matches will be confirmed in due course.
SA Schools and SA U18 Management:
Head Coach: Lwazi Zangqa (Border)
Assistant Coach: Cobus van Dyk (Blue Bulls)
Team Manager: Dean Moodley (KwaZulu-Natal)
Physiotherapist: Robin Williams (KwaZulu-Natal)
Conditioning Coach: Yaw Fosu-Amoah (Eastern Province)
Team Doctor: Dr Gershwin Kortje (Boland)
SA Schools ‘A’ and SA U18 ‘A’ Management:
Head Coach: Flash Malinga (KwaZulu-Natal)
Assistant Coach: Clinton van Rensburg (Western Province)
Team Manager: Mandla Madaka (Blue Bulls)
Physiotherapist: Rob Sims (Western Province)
Conditioning Coach: Adriaan Jansen (SWD)
Team Doctor: Dr Gershwin Kortje (Boland)
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