We have all been there – that moment when relief, mixed with accomplishment emulsifies into a manifest outpouring of emotions, however brief or prolonged, releasing the burden of stress, the anxiousness living in the chest, the weight of expectation sitting heavy on the shoulders.
On Saturday, after his Lions side had beaten the Sharks in Durban for the first time since 2017, Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen had such a moment.
The final whistle had just blown in the Lions’ remarkable 20-18 come-from-behind victory at Kings Park, and while his assistant coaches gleefully revelled in the success, Van Rooyen could be seen in the coach’s box still seated, turning his thoughts within, briefly releasing his emotions with teary-eyed pride.
“Cash” has often been much-derided – arguably unfairly so – for a perceived lack of acumen as a coach, all the failures of the union on and off the pitch laid at his feet alone.
Look at what it means to @LionsRugbyCo’s Ivan van Rooyen 🥹#BKTURC #URC | #SHAvLIO pic.twitter.com/2Sn1OFtXqw
— BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial) January 9, 2024
In football terms, as was the case when Jose Riveiro was employed as head coach of Orlando Pirates, he would have been challenged as a “plumber” – an individual thrust into the hot seat that is believed to be unqualified for the monumental task set before them.
It is true that Van Rooyen’s record as head coach of the Lions at franchise level – a position he took over in 2020 during Super Rugby Unlocked – is less than stellar. Indeed, his win percentage is sitting in the region of 48%, which we can all agree is not good enough at this level.
However, the now 41-year-old Van Rooyen was thrust into the position by the union’s upper management with a poisoned chalice in hand.
After dominating the South African rugby landscape during the latter part of the noughties, the Lions found themselves post-2019 with their best players poached, the expertise of serial-winning coaches departed, and with a group of youngsters and veterans who had either seen too few winters or too many, remaining.
Since then, Van Rooyen and Co have weathered it all, building a team from scratch that is arguably full of some of the most exciting talent in the country. They remain a young squad, but now propelled by the camaraderie of multiple years spent together, have been steadily building their experience and skills.
Look at what it means to @LionsRugbyCo’s Ivan van Rooyen 🥹#BKTURC #URC | #SHAvLIO pic.twitter.com/2Sn1OFtXqw
— BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial) January 9, 2024
Having interacted with these players and coaches, the unity within the team is easy to discern and immediately clear. Sure, there have been tough times and some terrible lows – and there surely will be a few more of those in the future – but there has also been an unflinching belief and unfaltering team culture that permeates the entire operation.
That is the doing of Van Rooyen and his management team, who have been able to hold the team together through thick and thin, and instil purpose and pride despite losses, criticisms and controversies that have threatened to derail the work.
For sure, the Sharks that the Lions beat on Saturday in the URC are in a shambles, and the Lions remain an unfinished product, but there is now only a nagging suspicion that after many years of stumbling in the wilderness, the Joburgers are on the right track.
The players are showing mettle, while there are eager whispers from supporters and pundits alike that some of them are surely Springboks-in-waiting, while the coaches seemingly have an understanding of their tactics and game plan.
Much like the Young Turks that he started with, Van Rooyen has steadily grown as a coach, too. He will still make mistakes but will be the better for it.
The Sharks victory will surely only reinforce his own belief, and gives him the ideal moment to kick on from – not only as a coach but also for his once ragtag group of players.
Beating the Sharks away could be this Lions team’s crossing of the Rubicon.
@FreemanZAR