Rugby’s new generation of stars are young, fearless, and according to Emirates Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen, more than ready for the big stage.
The recent performance of players such as 20-year-old Sacha Mngomezulu and a host of other young stars in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship comes as no surprise to Van Rooyen, who at the start of this season identified a clear shift in the talent coming through.
“This new generation is a little bit different. They have a huge expectation, which is positive. They aren’t very patient, which makes it a challenge for us, but which is also why they can perform so well when they’re 20, 21 or 22. They honestly believe they’re good enough at that age. They back themselves,” Van Rooyen said.
“Honestly, South African rugby is in an unbelievable place where they could probably pick an Under-24 or Under-25 Springbok team that could really compete with the majority of the senior teams.”
It’s exactly this new breed of player that made Van Rooyen so excited about the upcoming season, and which is showing in the performance of his Emirates Lions team.
“The ability to play a game that excites the players in your team room and could potentially excite the fans is very appealing. As coaches we wake up every day and ask, ‘How are we going to get the best out of these players? How are we going to get the mix right for them to perform?’ There is a real hunger and drive in the Emirates Lions to start doing something special. Not that it wasn’t there before, but I think in the previous season we had the realisation that we really can compete here and do something special. You have to keep on picking younger and at the Emirates Lions we back our junior system. If you add your mixture of senior players in, it becomes very exciting.”
