How Swys de Bruin found joy in coaching the Springbok Women after burnout
The popular coach cited personal reasons that he later disclosed to be stress-related.
De Bruin withdrew from coaching for some time and worked as a television analyst, but a year later, he was tempted into a return to coaching when he was offered the different challenge of heading the Springbok Women's team.
It has been a marriage made in heaven — if that is the correct terminology — with De Bruin loving his new lease on life and the Bok Women improving hugely over the last 12 months.
De Bruin, speaking hours before taking his team to the Women's World Cup in England, was honest about what went down in 2019.
'What happened to me? It is a good question,' De Bruin said. 'It was a case of burnout. Thank goodness I am over that. I know the traps — I must not get too involved in refereeing decisions, social media, and try and read everything.
'I was with the Springboks and also a head coach in Super Rugby (with the Lions) — you go from one group to the other, and the stress just builds and builds.
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