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World Cup winner JP Pietersen has retired with immediate effect to move into coaching
By Sam Smith
JP Pietersen, the 2007 Springboks World Cup winner, has called time on a 16-year playing career to take up a junior coaching role at the soon-to-be Guinness PRO16 Sharks. The 34-year-old winger made his last appearance in an October Super Rugby win for the Sharks over the Lions.
Pietersen joined the Sharks academy in 2005 straight out of school and went on to play more than 180 times across two spells with the South African franchise. He also played for the Wild Knights in Japan, Leicester in England and Toulon in France.
Capped 70 times by the Springboks, Pietersen was a starting winger when South Africa defeated England in Paris to win the 2007 World Cup while he also featured in the 2009 Test series victory over the British and Irish Lions.
Pietersen said: “It has been an absolute privilege and an honour to play for the Sharks, a team that I have supported all my life and through that journey, I got to represent my country.
"I close this chapter on my playing career knowing that I gave my very best to the game that gave me everything I have. I was very fortunate that I took the opportunities I had and now it is all about giving back to rugby, passing on what I have learned in my career.
“I take this opportunity to thank every person that has had an impact on my life and career. I cannot thank you enough. The Sharks have given me a wonderful opportunity to move into a coaching role and I’m excited for what the future holds. I hope I can make a positive impact in my new role.”
Sharks CEO Eduard Coetzee added: “We congratulate JP on a fantastic playing career. His professionalism over the years and loyalty to the Sharks brand will always be admired. “To have someone of his calibre enter the Sharks junior coaching structures is a massive plus for us.
"His wealth of experience and success at all levels bodes well for the youngsters that he will get to mentor. JP is truly deserving of all the success he has achieved, and we are positive that the proud legacy he has carved out in his playing career, will continue in this new chapter as a coach.”
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Latest Comments
The boy needs to bulk up if wants to play 10 or 11 to handle those hits, otherwise he could always make a brilliant reserve for the wings if he stays away from the stretcher.
Go to commentsIn another recent article I tried to argue for a few key concept changes for EPCR which I think could light the game up in the North.
First, I can't remember who pointed out the obvious elephant in the room (a SA'n poster?), it's a terrible time to play rugby in the NH, and especially your pinnacle tournament. It's been terrible watching with seemingly all the games I wanted to watch being in the dark, hardly able to see what was going on. The Aviva was the only stadium I saw that had lights that could handle the miserable rain. If the global appeal is there, they could do a lot better having day games.
They other primary idea I thuoght would benefit EPCR most, was more content. The Prem could do with it and the Top14 could do with something more important than their own league, so they aren't under so much pressure to sell games. The quality over quantity approach.
Trim it down to two 16 team EPCR competitions, and introduce a third for playing amongst the T2 sides, or the bottom clubs in each league should simply be working on being better during the EPCR.
Champions Cup is made up of league best 15 teams, + 1, the Challenge Cup winner. Without a reason not to, I'd distribute it evenly based on each leauge, dividing into thirds and rounded up, 6 URC 5 Top14 4 English. Each winner (all four) is #1 rank and I'd have a seeding round or two for the other 12 to determine their own brackets for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th. I'd then hold a 6 game pool, home and away, with consecutive of each for those games that involve SA'n teams. Preferrably I'd have a regional thing were all SA'n teams were in the same pool but that's a bit complex for this simple idea.
That pool round further finalises the seeding for knockout round of 16. So #1 pool has essentially duked it out for finals seeding already (better venue planning), and to see who they go up against 16, 15,etc etc. Actually I think I might prefer a single pool round for seeding, and introduce the home and away for Ro16, quarters, and semis (stuffs up venue hire). General idea to produce the most competitive matches possible until the random knockout phase, and fix the random lottery of which two teams get ranked higher after pool play, and also keep the system identical for the Challenge Cup so everthing is succinct. Top T2 side promoted from last year to make 16 in Challenge Cup
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