Peter de Villiers
Encyclopedia
Peter de Villiers is a South Africa
n rugby union
coach
who is the coach of the South Africa national rugby union team
. After his successes with South African U19 and U21 squads, de Villiers was named as the coach of South Africa's national team, the Springboks
in January 2008, the first-ever non-white to be appointed to the position. He has since enjoyed such milestone successes as defeating the New Zealand All Blacks in Dunedin, a record victory over the Australian Wallabies that same year, a series victory over the British and Irish Lions and most recently the winning of the 2009 Tri Nations. He played scrum-half during the apartheid era, when the Springboks faced widespread international boycotts
as the face of the white minority government
, including exclusion from in the first two Rugby World Cup
tournaments in 1987
and 1991
. Following a 11-9 defeat to Australia in the Rugby World Cup quarter-final, De Villiers stated that he will see out the rest of his contract that end in December 2011.
in the Currie Cup
and also the South Africa national under-19 side, which he took to third in the 1999 Under 19 Rugby World Championship
. He took the Falcons
through the 2002 and 2003 Currie Cup campaigns before going on to coach the South Africa national under-21 rugby union team between 2004 and 2006. In the 2004 Under 21 Rugby World Championship
, South Africa finished third, but won in 2005
and came second in 2006
. In 2007, De Villiers was appointed coach of the Emerging Springboks
and led them to the title of the 2007 Nations Cup.
's tenure as Springbok coach, after South Africa's Rugby World Cup victory
in France
in November 2007, De Villiers was short-listed for the role along with three other candidates, including successful Bulls coach Heyneke Meyer
. In January 2008, De Villiers was appointed as the first ever non-white coach of the Springboks, but South African Rugby Union
(SARU) President Oregan Hoskins
indicated that his rugby credentials were not the sole motivation for the appointment: "We have made the appointment and taken into account the issue of transformation when we made it. I don't think that tarnishes Peter; I'm just being honest with our country."
The appointment was not met with universal acclaim. "We have seven lean years ahead," predicted former Springbok captain Corné Krige
. De Villiers achieved an early fillip, however, in convincing John Smit
to stay on as Springbok captain, but there followed a period of jaundice as Gert Smal
and Eugene Eloff refused to be considered as his assistants. Going into February, De Villiers's contract, offering him R200,000 less than his predecessor, was still unsigned. Contractual negotiations broke down in March when he insisted on the final word on team selection. When SARU duly amended its constitution later that month, De Villiers finally gave of his signature.
The Springboks' first training squad under De Villiers, comprising 42 players, included sixteen of colour. Dick Muir and Gary Gold were named assistant coaches shortly thereafter. Controversy arose again, however, when Ricky Januarie was dropped for "disciplinary reasons". Going into the Tri Nations
, De Villiers's 28-man squad included ten of colour and took two victories against Wales
(43–17 and 37–21) and one against Italy
(26–0) in Incoming Tours.
Following the Springboks' 19–8 defeat at the hands of the All Blacks
, De Villiers accused them of cheating
. Several months later, in an interview with SA Sports Illustrated
, he declared,
The side lost again, 16–9, to Australia
not long after, but this time De Villiers cast no doubt over the probity of his opponents. In the after match interview De Villiers claimed there was a lot he could learn from the Australian team. He subsequently took his team to a historic triumph in Dunedin
, trumping the All Blacks 30–28 before thrashing Argentina
with nine tries
in a score of 63–9.
In April 2009 he expressed shock that the captains of England, Scotland and Wales have been left out of the Lions squad for the 2009 British & Irish Lions
tour to South Africa.
On 27 June 2009, after South Africa had defeated the Lions in the 2nd Test of the Series, de Villiers attracted criticism when he defended his blindside flanker, Schalk Burger
, against charges of eye gouging, despite clear television evidence showing the offence had occurred. De Villiers said "I don't think it should have been a card at all. For me and for everybody, this is sport.". Even after Burger received an 8 week suspension from the IRB
on 29 June, De Villers continued to defend him, saying "I have watched the television footage, and am still convinced that nothing he did was on purpose. He is an honourable man – he never meant to go to anyone's eye". However, later the same day, after a meeting with SARU
, he apologised, saying "It was never my intention to suggest that I condone foul play. That is the last thing I would ever do and I apologise for that impression." His belated apology did not bring an end to the controversy, with numerous figures in International rugby continuing to criticise him, including Lions player Brian O'Driscoll
, who said "To hear the South Africa coach talk about gouging being part of the game was semi-repulsive", and "regardless of the apology he may have submitted – it's essentially bringing the game into disrepute".
Following a 11-9 defeat to Australia in the Rugby World Cup quarter-final, De Villiers confirmed that he will not resign, rather he will see out the rest of his contract that will expire in December 2011 and he will not be signing a new deal. He said, "I enjoyed it. I was in a privileged position to be able to contribute to my country. South African rugby is in a good state and will move forward after this."
One of his more controversial comments featured a decidedly racial overtone. In June 2009 shortly after the first test between the Springboks and British and Irish Lions at Loftus Versveld in Pretoria
, De Villiers was quoted as saying:
In June 2009, shortly after the second test between the Boks and the Lions, flanker Schalk Burger
received an eight-week ban for eye-gouging Lions wing Luke Fitzgerald. De Villiers responded to the incident by reminding the press that “rugby
is a contact sport, and so is dancing”. He went on further by saying:
De Villiers’ lively remarks eventually culminated in a rebuke by South African Minister of Sport, Makhenkesi Stofile, who told De Villiers to “keep his mouth shut” and “sober-up”.
, the Springboks' fiercest rivals. De Villiers is the first Springbok coach since Nick Mallet to have a 100% win record over the All Blacks in a single year (2009). De Villiers is also the first coach since Nelie Smith to have secured a series win over the British and Irish Lions
.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
who is the coach of the South Africa national rugby union team
South Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
. After his successes with South African U19 and U21 squads, de Villiers was named as the coach of South Africa's national team, the Springboks
South Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
in January 2008, the first-ever non-white to be appointed to the position. He has since enjoyed such milestone successes as defeating the New Zealand All Blacks in Dunedin, a record victory over the Australian Wallabies that same year, a series victory over the British and Irish Lions and most recently the winning of the 2009 Tri Nations. He played scrum-half during the apartheid era, when the Springboks faced widespread international boycotts
Anti-Apartheid Movement
Anti-Apartheid Movement , originally known as the Boycott Movement, was a British organization that was at the center of the international movement opposing South Africa's system of apartheid and supporting South Africa's Blacks....
as the face of the white minority government
National Party (South Africa)
The National Party is a former political party in South Africa. Founded in 1914, it was the governing party of the country from 4 June 1948 until 9 May 1994. Members of the National Party were sometimes known as Nationalists or Nats. Its policies included apartheid, the establishment of a...
, including exclusion from in the first two Rugby World Cup
Rugby World Cup
The Rugby World Cup is an international rugby union competition organised by the International Rugby Board and held every four years since 1987....
tournaments in 1987
1987 Rugby World Cup
The 1987 Rugby World Cup was the first Rugby World Cup. New Zealand and Australia agreed to co-host the first ever tournament with New Zealand hosting seventeen pool stage matches, two quarter-finals and the final with Australia being the junior partner hosting seven pool matches, two...
and 1991
1991 Rugby World Cup
The 1991 Rugby World Cup was the second edition of the Rugby World Cup, and was jointly hosted by England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and France; at that time, the five European countries that participated in the Five Nations Championship making it the first Rugby World Cup to be staged in the...
. Following a 11-9 defeat to Australia in the Rugby World Cup quarter-final, De Villiers stated that he will see out the rest of his contract that end in December 2011.
Early career
He coached amateur club Tygerberg in 1996 and 1997, and the Western Province Disas in 1997. In 1998, he enjoyed his first major appointments as assistant coach for Western ProvinceWestern Province (rugby team)
DHL Western Province is a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. The team has won the Currie Cup on 32 occasions and has the most supporters of any Currie Cup team...
in the Currie Cup
Currie Cup
The Currie Cup tournament is South Africa's premier domestic rugby union competition, played each winter and spring , featuring teams representing either entire provinces or substantial regions within provinces...
and also the South Africa national under-19 side, which he took to third in the 1999 Under 19 Rugby World Championship
Under 19 Rugby World Championship
The IRB under-19 Rugby World Cup was the premier tournament for male rugby union players under the age of 19 organised by the sports governing body the International Rugby Board annually from 2004 until 2007...
. He took the Falcons
Falcons (rugby team)
The Falcons, or Valke in Afrikaans, are a South African rugby union team in Gauteng province that participates in the annual Currie Cup and Vodacom Cup tournaments....
through the 2002 and 2003 Currie Cup campaigns before going on to coach the South Africa national under-21 rugby union team between 2004 and 2006. In the 2004 Under 21 Rugby World Championship
Under 21 Rugby World Championship
The IRB Under 21 Rugby World Cup was the premier tournament for male rugby union players under the age of 21, organised by the sports governing body the International Rugby Board annually from 2002 through 2006...
, South Africa finished third, but won in 2005
2005 Under 21 Rugby World Championship
The 2005 Under 21 Rugby World Championship was played in Argentina throughout June 2005. The final was played between South Africa and Australia at Malvinas Argentinas, Mendoza...
and came second in 2006
2006 Under 21 Rugby World Championship
The 2006 Under 21 Rugby World Championship was played in the Auvergne region of France throughout June 2006. The final was played between South Africa and France at the Parc des Sports Marcel Michelin in Clermont-Ferrand, which saw France win 24 to 13....
. In 2007, De Villiers was appointed coach of the Emerging Springboks
Emerging Springboks
The Emerging Springboks are the second national rugby union team in South africa after the national side. They compete every year in the Nations Cup alongside the full national teams of Namibia, Romania and Georgia as well as Argentina Jaguars and Italy A. Now and again they also play touring sides...
and led them to the title of the 2007 Nations Cup.
Springboks
Following the acrimonious conclusion of Jake WhiteJake White
Jake White is a rugby union coach and former coach of the South Africa national rugby union team, the Springboks. His most notable achievements as coach include leading the Springboks to victory in 2007 Rugby World Cup and the 2004 Tri Nations title...
's tenure as Springbok coach, after South Africa's Rugby World Cup victory
2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in November 2007, De Villiers was short-listed for the role along with three other candidates, including successful Bulls coach Heyneke Meyer
Heyneke Meyer
Heyneke Meyer is a rugby union coach, most recently Head Coach at Leicester Tigers in the Guinness Premiership. He is the former coach of the Blue Bulls in the Super 14 competition....
. In January 2008, De Villiers was appointed as the first ever non-white coach of the Springboks, but South African Rugby Union
South African Rugby Union
The South African Rugby Union is the governing body for rugby union in South Africa and is affiliated to the International Rugby Board...
(SARU) President Oregan Hoskins
Oregan Hoskins
-Overview of Policies:He was appointed to this position in 2006. Noted events that have occurred during his tenure as President include South Africa victory at the 2007 Rugby World Cup...
indicated that his rugby credentials were not the sole motivation for the appointment: "We have made the appointment and taken into account the issue of transformation when we made it. I don't think that tarnishes Peter; I'm just being honest with our country."
The appointment was not met with universal acclaim. "We have seven lean years ahead," predicted former Springbok captain Corné Krige
Corné Krige
Cornelius Petrus Johannes "Corné" Krige was a South African rugby union footballer, now retired, who played flanker for Western Province in the Currie Cup, the Stormers in Super Rugby and captained the South African national side, the Springboks.-Career:Corne Krige was Zambian-born and his parents...
. De Villiers achieved an early fillip, however, in convincing John Smit
John Smit
John William Smit is the 50th and current captain of the South African national rugby union team, the Springboks. He has played most of his career as a hooker, but played twice for the Springboks off the bench as a prop prior to the South Africa coaching staff's decision to use him as a tighthead...
to stay on as Springbok captain, but there followed a period of jaundice as Gert Smal
Gert Smal
Gert Petrus Smal is a former South African rugby union player and the current forwards coach of the Irish national team.-Club career:...
and Eugene Eloff refused to be considered as his assistants. Going into February, De Villiers's contract, offering him R200,000 less than his predecessor, was still unsigned. Contractual negotiations broke down in March when he insisted on the final word on team selection. When SARU duly amended its constitution later that month, De Villiers finally gave of his signature.
The Springboks' first training squad under De Villiers, comprising 42 players, included sixteen of colour. Dick Muir and Gary Gold were named assistant coaches shortly thereafter. Controversy arose again, however, when Ricky Januarie was dropped for "disciplinary reasons". Going into the Tri Nations
2008 Tri Nations Series
The 2008 Tri Nations Series was the thirteenth annual Tri Nations competition between the national rugby union teams of New Zealand, Australia and South Africa...
, De Villiers's 28-man squad included ten of colour and took two victories against Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
(43–17 and 37–21) and one against Italy
Italy national rugby union team
The Italy national rugby union team represent the nation of Italy in the sport of rugby union. The team is also known as the Azzurri . Italy have been playing international rugby since the late 1920s, and since 2000 compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland,...
(26–0) in Incoming Tours.
Following the Springboks' 19–8 defeat at the hands of the All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
, De Villiers accused them of cheating
Cheating
Cheating refers to the breaking of rules to gain advantage in a competitive situation. The rules infringed may be explicit, or they may be from an unwritten code of conduct based on morality, ethics or custom, making the identification of cheating a subjective process. Cheating can refer...
. Several months later, in an interview with SA Sports Illustrated
SA Sports Illustrated
SA Sports Illustrated is a South African sports magazine published in print monthly.Founded in 1986, it is today South Africa's most popular sporting periodical...
, he declared,
I know the game. Technically, I'm very strong. When I said the All Blacks were cheaters in the first Test in WellingtonWellingtonWellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
, I picked up some of the technical stuff they did wrong in the scrumScrum (rugby union)In rugby union a scrum is a means of restarting play after a minor infringement. It involves up to eight players from each team, known as the pack or forward pack, binding together in three rows and interlocking with the free opposing teams forwards. At this point the ball is fed into the gap...
s and how they played outside of the laws and how they used that to good effect. I also picked up that, instead of standing a metre apart in the line-outLine-outA line-out is the means by which, in rugby union, the ball is put back into play after it has gone into touch. It is the equivalent of the throw-in in soccer. Rugby league abolished line-outs in 1897...
s, they stood a metre and a half apart so that we couldn't compete; and anything outside of any law is cheating.
The side lost again, 16–9, to Australia
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
not long after, but this time De Villiers cast no doubt over the probity of his opponents. In the after match interview De Villiers claimed there was a lot he could learn from the Australian team. He subsequently took his team to a historic triumph in Dunedin
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
, trumping the All Blacks 30–28 before thrashing Argentina
Argentina national rugby union team
The Argentina national rugby team, nicknamed Los Pumas, represents Argentina in international rugby union matches. The team, which plays in sky blue and white jerseys, is organised by the Argentine Rugby Union .Argentina played its first international rugby match in 1910 against a touring British...
with nine tries
Try
A try is the major way of scoring points in rugby league and rugby union football. A try is scored by grounding the ball in the opposition's in-goal area...
in a score of 63–9.
In April 2009 he expressed shock that the captains of England, Scotland and Wales have been left out of the Lions squad for the 2009 British & Irish Lions
2009 British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa
The 2009 British and Irish Lions Tour to South Africa was an international rugby union tour which took place in South Africa from May to July 2009....
tour to South Africa.
On 27 June 2009, after South Africa had defeated the Lions in the 2nd Test of the Series, de Villiers attracted criticism when he defended his blindside flanker, Schalk Burger
Schalk Burger
Schalk Burger Jr. is a South African rugby union player. He plays the position of flanker in the Springbok rugby union team.-Father:...
, against charges of eye gouging, despite clear television evidence showing the offence had occurred. De Villiers said "I don't think it should have been a card at all. For me and for everybody, this is sport.". Even after Burger received an 8 week suspension from the IRB
International Rugby Board
The International Rugby Board is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. It was founded in 1886 as the International Rugby Football Board by the unions of Scotland, Wales and Ireland. England refused to join until 1890. The International Rugby Football Board changed its name to the...
on 29 June, De Villers continued to defend him, saying "I have watched the television footage, and am still convinced that nothing he did was on purpose. He is an honourable man – he never meant to go to anyone's eye". However, later the same day, after a meeting with SARU
Saru
Saru may refer to:*Saru River, river in Hokkaidō, Japan*Saru District, Hokkaidō, district in Japan*SARU or South African Rugby Union, the governing body for rugby union in South Africa*Saru, Estonia, village in Mõniste Parish, Võru County, Estonia...
, he apologised, saying "It was never my intention to suggest that I condone foul play. That is the last thing I would ever do and I apologise for that impression." His belated apology did not bring an end to the controversy, with numerous figures in International rugby continuing to criticise him, including Lions player Brian O'Driscoll
Brian O'Driscoll
Brian O'Driscoll is an Irish professional rugby union player. He is the current captain of the Ireland Rugby team and captained Leinster Rugby until the start of 2008 season. He also captained the British and Irish Lions for their 2005 tour of New Zealand...
, who said "To hear the South Africa coach talk about gouging being part of the game was semi-repulsive", and "regardless of the apology he may have submitted – it's essentially bringing the game into disrepute".
Following a 11-9 defeat to Australia in the Rugby World Cup quarter-final, De Villiers confirmed that he will not resign, rather he will see out the rest of his contract that will expire in December 2011 and he will not be signing a new deal. He said, "I enjoyed it. I was in a privileged position to be able to contribute to my country. South African rugby is in a good state and will move forward after this."
Comments and Controversy
De Villiers is known for his rather colourful comments, which have landed him in hot water on many occasions.One of his more controversial comments featured a decidedly racial overtone. In June 2009 shortly after the first test between the Springboks and British and Irish Lions at Loftus Versveld in Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
, De Villiers was quoted as saying:
What I've learned in South Africa is that if you take your car to a garage where the owner is a black man and he messes up then you'll never go back to that garage again. If the owner's a white man you say, 'ah, he made a mistake', and you go back.
In June 2009, shortly after the second test between the Boks and the Lions, flanker Schalk Burger
Schalk Burger
Schalk Burger Jr. is a South African rugby union player. He plays the position of flanker in the Springbok rugby union team.-Father:...
received an eight-week ban for eye-gouging Lions wing Luke Fitzgerald. De Villiers responded to the incident by reminding the press that “rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
is a contact sport, and so is dancing”. He went on further by saying:
Why don't we go to the nearest ballet shop, get some tutus and get a dancing shop going? (Then there will be) no eye-gouging, no tackling, no nothing and we will enjoy it!
De Villiers’ lively remarks eventually culminated in a rebuke by South African Minister of Sport, Makhenkesi Stofile, who told De Villiers to “keep his mouth shut” and “sober-up”.
Record as Springbok Coach
As of December 2009, the Springboks have won 17 of their 27 matches under the helm of De Villiers. The 62% win percentage includes a 57% win percentage against the All BlacksAll Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
, the Springboks' fiercest rivals. De Villiers is the first Springbok coach since Nick Mallet to have a 100% win record over the All Blacks in a single year (2009). De Villiers is also the first coach since Nelie Smith to have secured a series win over the British and Irish Lions
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
.