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'Fully committed' - Heyneke Meyer's new DoR role revealed

By Kim Ekin
Former South Africa boss Heyneke Meyer (Photo by Steve Haag/Gallo Images)

American Major League Rugby side Houston SaberCats have announced that former Springbok head coach Heyneke Meyer will be their new Director of Rugby.

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Meyer led the Boks to a third-place finish at the 2015 World Cup in England. Most recently, Meyer was the head coach for French club Stade Francais.

“This is a very important time for the SaberCats organization. I am fully committed to turning this team into one that wins on a regular basis and brings a championship to all the dedicated fans of Houston,” said Meyer. “The SaberCats have the best facilities in the country, and I am excited to get to work.”

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SaberCats president JT Onyett added: “Heyneke has a pattern of winning, and that’s what we want with the SaberCats

“The interest in this job was very strong, but Heyneke stood out from the beginning. Not only does he bring instant credibility with his background, he presented a clear path for the future.”

As Director of Rugby, Meyer will be responsible for all rugby-related activities including the Rugby HTX developmental squad, the SaberCats Under-18 team and all academy outreach.

He is working with the SaberCats management to build a coaching staff aimed at elevating the team to the top of the standings for years to come.

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“Our goals are simple – win the MLR while also developing American talent through our HTX and academy sides,” says Meyer. “With resources like AVEVA Stadium, there is no reason we can’t accomplish both goals.”

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Bull Shark 1 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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