"At 34, Heyneke Meyer was fired as head coach of a Super Rugby team for
the second time. But when, in 2007, his Bulls side became the first
South African team to win the Super title, the dark years at Loftus
Versfeld were suddenly forgotten. Coaches, like players, are judged on
the playing field, but the scoreboard never tells the full story of how
they achieved success. In Meyer's case it was an arduous journey, during
which he redefined professional rugby through his leadership style. And
leadership is what Coach is about - people who have fundamentally
changed a sport, an industry, a way of thinking and people's lives.
Marco Botha sat in conversation with some of South Africa's foremost
sports leaders and interprets their diverse success stories. Brendan
Venter helped turn Saracens into a top club and the Sharks into the 2013
Currie Cup champions. As an international hockey player, Sherylle Calder
noticed something special about her own visual abilities and researched
this together with Professor Tim Noakes. The 'Eye Lady' was instrumental
in England and South Africa's victories in the Rugby World Cup, and
Ernie Els bagging his second British Open golf title in 2012. Former
Springbok Sevens coach Paul Treu advanced rugby sevens as a world sport
by regularly getting his team to tower above seemingly superior sides.
Gary Kirsten and Paddy Upton guided the Indian national cricket team to
glory with a leadership style that empowered players and developed them
as human beings - the 'new school' of coaching. With the same approach
they helped the Proteas become the world-number-one cricket team in all
three formats of the game. These remarkable leaders have made champions
out of ordinary people. The reasons for their success stories will
surprise you . . . "
