Heyneke Meyer

Heyneke Meyer
Date of birth 6 October 1967
Place of birth Nelspruit, Transvaal Province, South Africa
School Bergvlam HS, Nelspruit
University University of Pretoria
Coaching career
Years Club / team
1998 -
2000–02
2002–07
2008–09
2012–		 SWD Eagles
Northern Bulls
Blue Bulls
Leicester Tigers
South Africa

Heyneke Meyer (born 6 October 1967 in Nelspruit, South Africa) is a rugby union coach. He succeeded Peter de Villiers as coach of South Africa's national team the Springboks on 27 January 2012 for a four-year term.[1]

He was previously Head Coach at Leicester Tigers in the Guinness Premiership. He is the former coach of the Bulls in the Super 14 competition.

After studying sports psychology at the University of Pretoria, Meyer coached a variety of smaller clubs before joining the SWD Eagles as assistant coach in 1997. The following year he was promoted to head coach and took the team to seventh place in the Currie Cup and to the semi finals in the following year. In 2000 Meyer joined the Northern Bulls as head coach. In 2002 he became head coach of the Blue Bulls and coached them to four Currie Cup titles in between 2002 and 2006. In 2007, the team became the first South African team to win the Super 14 competition.[2]

In February 2008 Meyer was expected to succeed Jake White as coach of the South African national team but after this job went to Peter De Villiers. Meyer quit rugby and accepted a senior position at a sports supplement company. In June 2008 Meyer was appointed Head Coach at Leicester Tigers succeeding Marcelo Loffreda. In January 2009 he took compassionate leave from his Tigers post to attend to family matters in South Africa – however, Meyer tendered his resignation from the Tigers on 28 January 2009.[3]

Coaching career

• 1988–96: Coached a number of High School first teams, Under-21 sides and Carlton first teams in Pretoria.

• 1997: SWD Eagles assistant coach

• 1998: SWD Eagles head coach

• 1998: Emerging Springboks head coach

• 1999: DHL Stormers assistant coach

• 1999: SWD Eagles head coach

• 1999: Springbok assistant coach

• 2000: Vodacom Bulls head coach

• 2001: Vodacom Blue Bulls head coach

• 2001: Springbok assistant coach

• 2002: Vodacom Bulls head coach

• 2003: Vodacom Blue Bulls head coach

• 2004: Vodacom Blue Bulls head coach

• 2005: Vodacom Bulls head coach

• 2006: Vodacom Bulls head coach

• 2007: Vodacom Bulls head coach

• 2008–09: Leicester Tigers (UK) head coach

• 2011: Tuks Varsity Cup – Advisor

• 2011: Blue Bulls Company – Executive: Rugby

• 2012: Springbok head coach

• 2013: Springbok head coach

• 2014: Springbok head coach

Education

Meyer attended Bergvlam High School in Nelspruit and the University of Pretoria. Degrees obtained included BA (Psychology, Geography and Human Movement Science), Hons BA (Geography), HED

Family

Married to Linda Meyer. They have three sons.

Accolades

International Matches as Head Coach

Note: World Rankings Column shows the World Ranking South Africa was placed at on the following Monday after each of their matches

Record by Country

Opponent Played Won Drew Lost Win ratio (%) For Against
 Argentina 6 5 1 0 83 184 89
 Australia 6 4 0 2 67 167 88
 England 5 4 1 0 80 119 101
 France 1 1 0 0 100 19 10
 Ireland 2 1 0 1 50 31 41
 Italy 2 2 0 0 100 66 16
 New Zealand 6 1 0 5 17 106 159
 Samoa 1 1 0 0 100 56 23
 Scotland 4 4 0 0 100 134 33
 Wales 4 3 0 1 75 93 61
TOTAL 37 26 2 9 70 981 633

References

  1. ↑ "South Africa name Heyneke Meyer as new coach". BBC Sport. 27 January 2012. Retrieved 27 January 2012.
  2. ↑ http://web.up.ac.za/sitefiles/File/1795/7%20Legend%20Heyneke%20Meyer.pdf
  3. ↑ "Statement on head coach Heyneke Meyer". Leicester Tigers. 28 January 2009. Retrieved 2009-01-28.
  4. ↑ http://web.up.ac.za/default.asp?ipkCategoryID=10413 Hall of fame Retrieved 25 June 2011

External links

Sporting positions
Preceded by
South AfricaPeter de Villiers		 South Africa National Rugby Union Coach
2012– 		Succeeded by