Stick: I never doubted myself once
JUNE SPOTLIGHT: Mzwandile Stick is enjoying his new lease on life with the Springboks in 2018.
Back in 2016, Stick was appointed as backline coach with then head coach Allister Coetzee and a lot of fingers were pointed at the 33-year-old after the Boks lost eight of their 12 Tests that year.
Stick was subsequently demoted in 2017 and he was sent to work with the Junior Boks.
In 2018, Stick was brought back into the Bok coaching under new Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus and the former BlitzBok star has some big goals he wants to achieve as a coach in the future.
“I’m in a better space, I’m in a good environment,” said Stick.
“The people around me always supported me. In my absence last year when I went to work with the Under-20s, I really enjoyed myself. If you look at my history as a coach when I was at the Kings I was coaching at the Academy, I coached the Under-19s and the U21s, so it is something that I enjoy doing.
“Life is all about opportunities. For me to be back where I am now again and for Rassie to trust me with my contribution towards the team, is something I will never take for granted.
“[I relish] every opportunity that I get to represent my country. I have done it before as a player playing with the Sevens team and the Under-21s and now getting an opportunity again as a coach, so it is always a great honour to represent my country.
“I have never doubted myself once, so I know I’ve got what it takes to go all the away wherever I want to go.
“I know I got a better knowledge of the game and I know I’ve got what it takes to become one of the best coaches in the world.
“I have the right tools around me, which is the coaches who are supporting me and the players that believe in me – they always bring the best in me, so that’s who I am, and I am really excited to get this opportunity again.”
By Warren Fortune
@FortuneWarren
@rugby365com
