Eloff replaces Ludeke at Lions

2006-05-16 21:30

Hennie Brandt

Johannesburg - Eugene Eloff has been appointed coach of the Lions Currie Cup rugby team. The president of the Golden Lions Rugby Union, Jannie Ferreira, will make the official announcement on Wednesday.

The decision to replace Frans Ludeke as Lions coach - he coached the Cats in the Super 14 series - was taken at an executive committee meeting on Monday evening.

Indications are that Eloff has (at this stage) just been appointed for the Currie Cup season, which starts soon.

Ludeke has not been dismissed, but withdrawn as Currie Cup coach. The decision to withdraw him has definitely been influenced by the Cats poor performance in the Super 14 series.

He will not, however, be sent to the rugby wilderness. He will attend the national training camp and will also travel overseas to see the methods coaches implement there.

He has received a number of invitations. Another possibility is that he could be appointed the Golden Lions Rugby Union's director of coaching.

Eloff was Ludeke's deputy at the Lions the past few seasons. Eloff started his coaching career at the union in 1998 when he coached the Lions Under-20 team., The team won the provincial Under-20 series three times with him as coach.

His ability to spot talent at Under-21 level has made Springboks from, among others, Andre Pretorius and Joe van Niekerk.

Eloff is also the coach of the South African Under-19 team that won the world tournament in South Africa last year.

The favourite to take over Eloff's place as assistant coach of the Lions' senior team is the former Lions hooker, Leon Boshoff. His knowledge of forward play is highly rated.

Another candidate for this post is the former Springbok and Lions flank, Ian McDonald, who is the forwards coach of the Lions Vodacom Cup team.

- Beeld