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The 53 -year -old coach was asked to leave his post following the recording of bad results.
The former deputy coach of the Sacred World Champions Springboks in 2019, Matt Proudfoot, has just been put on the sidelines by the South African province of Leopards. Following a series of bad results in his CUP, the ex-Technician of England will not direct the last two games of the season. A decision that marks a turning point for this strong man of South African rugby.
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While the Leopards, based in Potchefstroom, produced a gloomy campaign with a single victory in seven days, the local federation announced that it withdrawn from Proudfoot the management of the first team for the last matches against the Falcons and the Swd Eagles. On the other hand, the 53-year-old coach retains a position in the structure, as Mervyn Taylor, president of the Leopards Federation, said at the South African media Network24 : “He has been noted from his functions as main coach with immediate effect. But he has not been dismissed. He is no longer entitled, but remains in office. He is still in his office and we exchange regularly.”
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The interim on the bench will be provided by Riaan Van Stratot, one of the assistants, pending a broader reorganization after the competition. “After the SA Cup, we will make a global point on the future,” added Taylor, leaving the door open to new functions for Proudfoot.
Originally from Klerksdorp and former Scottish international (4 selections), Matt Proudfoot experienced a dense course on the benches: Stormers, Western Province (where he won the Currie Cup), Namibia, then England under Eddie Jones. But it was above all alongside Rassie Erasmus, during the world coronation of boks in Japan, that he distinguished himself, in particular in charge of the fray.
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Since his arrival at the Leopards in 2023, the results have not followed. The club points to the penultimate place in the ranking, far from its ambitions. This dismissal, even temporary, illustrates the constant pressure that weighs on coaches, even the most experienced.
