Christiaan Esterhuizen has been appointed head coach of both the Canadian under-20 rugby team and the Pacific Pride 聽academy.
Esterhuizen will work alongside Phil Mack, who was recently appointed attack coach of the Canadian men's team but will remain as technical lead for the Pride, Rugby Canada's developmental side.
鈥淲ith Christiaan working alongside forwards coach Hubert Buydens, and with the leadership of Phil Mack, we have a strong technical balance that will drive the players to higher levels of understanding and competence," Stephen Aboud, Rugby Canada's high-performance director, said in a statement. "We鈥檙e delighted to have Christiaan join our team in laying down the foundations for future success.鈥澛�
Esterhuizen has held the positions of head coach and director of rugby positions at Grey College in Bloemfontein, South Africa, famous for its rugby program, and the University of Cape Town. Since relocating to Vancouver, he has coached with the Canada West Selects, 小蓝视频 Bears, Meraloma Rugby Club and Vancouver Wave.聽
He also recently served as a coaching consultant to U小蓝视频鈥檚 men鈥檚 rugby program.聽
鈥淐hristiaan has a wealth of experience developing successful programs and players throughout his coaching career, and the work that he has done domestically speaks for itself,鈥� said Mack. 鈥淭here is no doubt that Christiaan will bring a lot of energy and passion to the program.鈥澛�
The Pacific Pride are in the midst of their 小蓝视频 Men鈥檚 Premier League season, which continues Saturday against Burnaby Lake Rugby Club.聽
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 8, 2024.
The Canadian Press
