Sana Govender: The Leinster head coach who came by way of Gdansk and Skibbereen

When Erin King and Eve Higgins lined out against Munster, earlier this month, it was for the first time as a members of Leinster’s senior squad. It was the same case for Stacey Flood, when she started against Connacht last weekend. All three women have proudly represented Ireland in sevens and XVs, over the past few years [Flood made her senior sevens bow in 2015] yet were part of a large crop winning Leinster debuts.

The drive to get meaningful games into the four senior provinces has led to the recent prominence of the Vodafone Interprovincial Championship. The big stars missed out, last season, as they were on Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 duty, in England. For the current campaign, there have been a raft of overdue debuts.

It has been an extra wrinkle for Leinster’s new head coach, Sana Govender to deal with.

“That has been another challenge, in itself,” Govender said. “Managing a very talented, large squad with varying backgrounds, from contracted international players who played at World Cup and Six Nations level, to talented pathway athletes. Being able to mesh all that together, and get the best out of them, is a challenge, but one that we always look forward to. Working with such a wide array of talent is exciting.”

With 10 senior debuts arriving in the past fortnight, and even established stars with no more than a handful of caps to their names, that mesh will take time. Govender and Leinster had a tough start, too. They were well beaten, 39-19, by Munster in their tournament opener.

Govender was pleased with how is side responded to that “disappointing” loss by defeating Connacht, 36-21. If they can overcome Ulster, this weekend, it should set up a rematch, in the final, against Munster.

“There was a lot more energy, a lot more desire, a lot more want, a lot more intent,” the head coach commented. “To finish the game as strong as we did was something we can all be proud of… it was great to bounce back in that way, in that fashion, at home, in front of a really, really big crowd. We have another opportunity, this week, to build on that.”

“I just remember grey and green, at the time. It was a big change.”

In 2003, Govender arrived in Ireland, from South Africa, and settled with his family in Skibbereen. The coastal town that produced Olympic rowing sensations Fintan McCarthy, Paul and Gary O’Donovan also lays claim to the rugby talents of Gavin and Liam Coombes, Enya Breen and Abbie Salter-Townshend.

“I was only eight when my mum brought myself and my siblings over. My dad was already here, working. I was very young and it was probably difficult. But, as a kid, it was slightly easier for me than my older siblings as I was more adaptable.”

“It’s only as you start to find your feet, and your family starts to find their feet, things become more homely and more settled,” Govender added. “I have a strong connection to the area.”

Govender lined up at scrum-half for Skibbereen RFC, for a number of years, but found his rugby journey would be one focused around coaching, and getting the best out of players.

“I started just coaching Skibbereen, nearly 10 years ago now,” he continued. “I didn’t ever plan on it but started coaching the Under-15 girls, there, stuck with it and enjoyed it. I ended up getting a role with Munster as a women’s development officer and worked there for about four years, between representative squads, sevens and across sides, even some age grade boys representative sides.

“I found real enjoyment in bringing a young group all the way up from where we started [at Skibbereen] to Under-18s, coaching with one of my best friends, and being very successful with them.

“When we look back on it often, it is one of the pivotal moments in our lives where we didn’t know how good we had it. It was a great thing. So, that’s where I found my real passion, my real love and enjoyment, for coaching.”

Govender’s academic background is in psychology. There is an intrinsic satisfaction, he says, around team and culture development. He got involved as a coach with Cork side Sunday’s Well before the Irish Rugby Football Union reached out.

He came on board with Ireland Women’s Under-18 side for the 2024 Six Nations Festival. It was during that “phenomenal experience” that he got to know Matt Gill, defence and set-piece lead on the Leinster coaching panel. Gill also holds the key role as head of the Women’s National Talent Squad.

Following that Six Nations, with his seasonal Munster contract coming to an end, Govender received a message on LinkedIn. RC Lechia Gdansk, a semi-professional club, were on the lookout for head coach.

“I entertained it, having no other idea of what I wanted to do or where I was going, from a rugby point of view,” Govender said. “I just thought; ‘Take the leap, take the jump’ and ended up going to Poland. It was one of the best, and probably most challenging, experiences of my life. I was there, alone, in a foreign place, adapting to a new culture and coaching these strong men… it was very tough but rewarding.”

Govender returned from Gdansk after a season and took over as Railway Union head coach. The Dublin club has the experienced likes of Higgins, Flood, Nikki Caughey and Amee-Leigh Costigan to call upon. They reached the semi-finals of the Women’s All-Ireland League before falling to Blackrock.

This summer, the 31-year-old was on the move again, succeeding Ben Martin as Leinster head coach. Before a single field, gym or video session, he assembled a strong coaching and support team.

“It’s never about one person,” he explained. “It’s always about the entire group, and the people that you stand next to, not in front of. For any group, connection, honesty and trust – as well as that vulnerability aspect – is key. And enjoyment. It has to be fun, even if it is high-performance.”

“At the end of the day, the coaching group and playing group are part of one big picture. That’s the approach we have taken. Can we facilitate that environment? Can we facilitate that culture, where the players are getting [those key pillars]? We want them to feel comfortable, express themselves, be their true selves, be honest, and connect to each other.”

Giant strides have been made in women’s rugby, particularly at Test level. When it comes to the club game, JAECOO Premiership Women’s Rugby and AXA Élite 1 Féminine are the big hitters.

Irish provinces combine to make two sides for the Celtic Challenge, but there has been an IRFU expression of interest to possibly get involved with the PWR. There had previously been talk of a Women’s URC and Champions Cup, but Irish sides testing themselves against the PWR’s best is a notion that has momentum behind it.

Govender is only into his third month in his Leinster role but, taking a wider view, is hugely encouraged at recent advances in the women’s game.

“The things that are happening now,” he said, “are things you may have only suggested, or maybe wished of, 10 years ago.

“The game is developing. Whether it is too fast, too slow or whether there’s more that can be done, or less, that’s always going to be [debated], but it’s moving in a positive direction. More players are playing the game, and it will be exciting to see where it goes.

“For us, I guess, we’re just focused on doing the job over the next two weeks. Hopefully it gets to a place where the game is professional. Well, it will, eventually, but I don’t know what it might look like. There’s so many different options… but, for sure, to see the game go professional at a club level would be cool.”