CAPE TOWN - Peter de Villiers has been appointed head coach of the EP Elephants, the Eastern Province Rugby Union (EPRU) confirmed on Friday.
The former Springbok coach coach was shortlisted along with former NWU-Pukke mentor Jonathan Mokuena, former Springbok assistant coach Ricardo Laubscher, former Bok wing Deon Keyser and Varsity Cup-winning coach, Kevin Musikanth.
Interviews for the position commenced on December 2. The EPRU parted ways with former head coach Chumani Booi, who left the union to take up a role with the Pumas Rugby Institute.
This is De Villiers' first head coaching job at senior level in South Africa since his four-year Bok term expired in 2011.
He was the director of rugby at the University of the Western Cape from 2012 to 2015 and his last coaching gig was when he occupied the head-coach position of the Zimbabwe’s Sables.
“Being the coach of EP poses the opportunity to for us to actually unite a divided community into one support group that is behind the team that is supposed to be one of the best in the country,” said De Villiers in an EPRU statement.
“It is going to be a challenge but with the input of all stakeholders, we will be able to reach our goal. My plan for the union is that I need a lot of support from all the stakeholders to build bridges and to get the right personnel together and make sure that everybody understands what the collective goal is.
“I will work hard to make sure we achieve our goals.”
Meanwhile, Ryan Felix has been appointed Under-20 Currie Cup head coach.
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