Springboks recruit Lions coach for U20 set-up

Lions lineout coach Barend Pieterse is set to leave the United Rugby Championship outfit to join Kevin Foote’s Junior Springboks coaching team.

Pieterse will join the national set-up at the end of January, arriving in a consultancy role previously held by Bulls head coach Johan Ackermann.

The former Cheetahs lock has spent two years in Johannesburg, helping guide the Lions to ninth and 11th place finishes over the past two seasons. The Lions currently sit in seventh place in the league ahead of South Africa derbies against the Stormers and back-to-back clashes with the Sharks.

The clash with the high-flying Stormers, who are yet to be defeated in any competition this season, in Cape Town on Saturday will be the 46-year-old’s final game.

He will join a South Africa U20 team that will be looking to defend their World Rugby U20 Championship crown in 2026 in Georgia.

Fixture

United Rugby Championship

Stormers

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20 Dec 25

Lions

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“Barend has made a huge contribution to us,” Lions head coach Ivan van Rooyen said.

“He is an excellent coach and a great human being.

“He sacrificed quite a bit in terms of being away from his family during his time with us.

“The Junior Springboks are gaining a great coach, and I’ve got no doubt that he can one day join the Springbok system.”

Pieterse and the entire South Africa U20 coaching staff will be tasked with altering the players’ tackle technique ahead of the U20 Championship, with a new legal tackle height being lowered to sternum level for the tournament.

“Player welfare is at the heart of everything World Rugby does,” World Rugby Chairman Dr Brett Robinson said after the trial was announced.

“We’ll leave no stone left unturned in our efforts to make the game as safe as it can be. Having said that, protecting what makes rugby, rugby is a vital part of my role. We’ll undertake this trial, study it closely to ensure we have a game and a U20 Championship that excites players and fans alike.”