Golden Lions coach Mzwakhe Nkosi will take charge of the SA Schools team in the annual U18 International Series in August.

The SA Schools team will once again take on France, England, Wales and Argentina. Matches will be played on Friday, 9 August, Tuesday, 13 August and Saturday, 17 August at school venues across the Western Cape.

King Edward School’s Nkosi, who was assistant coach of the same team from 2016-18, replaces Sean Erasmus, who took up a professional coaching contract with the Golden Lions Rugby Union. Nkosi will be assisted by Cobus van Wyk, who was head coach of the Phakisa Pumas in 2018, but recently moved to Waterkloof High School in Pretoria.

Meanwhile, Border’s Phiwe Nomlomo will take charge of the SA Schools A team. Nomlomo, a teacher and head coach at Selbourne College in East London, will be assisted by Wessel du Plessis, head coach at Grey College in Bloemfontein.

Previously, Nomlomo was head coach at the Eastern Province Academy where he was part of the coaching staff of the U19, U21 and Rugby Challenge sides.

SA Rugby CEO Jurie Roux congratulated Nkosi and Nomlomo.

‘These teams are important in our youth rugby landscape. The SA Schools sides are an important development step in the careers of many of our top schoolboy players, which means Mzwakhe and Phiwe will have a big job to deliver well-balanced teams as these boys prepare for the next step in their careers.’

The SA Schools and SA Schools A teams will be announced a week after the conclusion of the U18 Craven Week, which will be hosted at Grey College in Bloemfontein from Monday, 1 July to Saturday, 6 July.

Photo: KES