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Rugby World Cup winning coach joins Roc Nation

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND - NOVEMBER 09: Mzwandile Stick (Backs Coach) of South Africa during the South Africa men's national rugby captain's run at Merchiston on November 09, 2024 in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by Steve Haag Sports/Gallo Images/Getty Images)

Springboks assistant coach Mzwandile Stick has become the latest rugby personality to sign with Roc Nation Sports International (RNSI).

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Former South Africa Sevens international Stick has been part of the South Africa coaching team since 2016, helping the Springboks to back-to-back Men’s Rugby World Cup success in 2019 and 2023.

He joins Springbok icons Siya Kolisi, Cheslin Kolbe and Tendai Mtawarira in signing with the sports agency, which was founded by Jay-Z, while Ellis Genge, Marcus Smith and Ollie Lawrence are also on its books. England captain Maro Itoje ended his four-year relationship with Roc Nation in January.

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Stick hopes the tie-up will provide support for his “broader aspirations” and work outside of rugby, although his primary focus remains on the game and coaching.

“Coaching is what I live for,” Stick said. “It’s where my heart is, and I want to ensure that I can continue to give my all to the team, but I fully appreciate the value of having a strong team behind me, and feel it is the right time to take this step with Roc Nation Sports International.”

RNSI president Michael Yormark welcomed Stick to the ‘Roc Fam’: “Mzwandile Stick is a remarkable individual, both as a coach and as a person.

“His passion, integrity, and commitment to making a difference align perfectly with our values, and we are so excited to see him become the first coach from South Africa to join RNSI.

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“We are fully committed to supporting his coaching goals and off-field ambitions, while also assisting in facilitating commercial opportunities and building his profile.”

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cw 8 hours ago
The coaching conundrum part one: Is there a crisis Down Under?

Thanks JW for clarifying your point and totally agree. The ABs are still trying to find their mojo” - that spark of power that binds and defines them. Man the Boks certainly found theirs in Wellington! But I think it cannot be far off for ABs - my comment about two coaches was a bit glib. The key point for me is that they need first a coach or coaches that can unlock that power and for me that starts at getting the set piece right and especially the scrum and second a coach that can simplify the game plans. I am fortified in this view by NBs comment that most of the ABs tries come from the scrum or lineout - this is the structured power game we have been seeing all year. But it cannot work while the scrum is backpeddling. That has to be fixed ASAP if Robertson is going to stick to this formula. I also think it is too late in the cycle to reverse course and revert to a game based on speed and continuity. The second is just as important - keep it simple! Complex movements that require 196 cm 144 kg props to run around like 95kg flankers is never going to work over a sustained period. The 2024 Blues showed what a powerful yet simple formula can do. The 2025 Blues, with Beauden at 10 tried to be more expansive / complicated - and struggled for most of the season.

I also think that the split bench needs to reflect the game they “want” to play not follow some rote formula. For example the ABs impact bench has the biggest front row in the World with two props 195cm / 140 kg plus. But that bulk cannot succeed without the right power based second row (7, 4, 5, 6). That bulk becomes a disadvantage if they don’t have a rock solid base behind them - as both Boks showed at Eden Park and the English in London. Fresh powerful legs need to come on with them - thats why we need a 6-2 bench. And teams with this split can have players focused only on 40 minutes max of super high intensity play. Hence Robertson needs to design his team to accord with these basic physics.



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