#TuksRugby: Buitendach sees coaching as being a ‘people builder’

Posted on May 16, 2017

People doing exactly the same thing for forty years might perceive it to be a life sentence but not Chris Buitendach.
 
The TuksRugby coach is still as passionate about what he is doing as the first day he stepped onto a rugby field to part with his knowledge of the game. Then again Buitendach never sees coaching as a job. To him, it is a calling. He describes himself as a “people builder” rather than referring to himself as a coach.
 
Buitendach started coaching way back in 1977. In the past forty years, he has coached 28 teams (national, provincial and club) to finals winning half of them.
 
Definite highlights for him were helping the South African Students team to reach the World Students-final in 1996.  The team lost to France in the final but has the bragging rights of being the only South African team to ever have played in a Students World Final. It was also special to him to be assistant coach of the Blue Bulls team that won the Currie Cup in 1998.  Another highlight was last year when Tuks won the South African Students Tournament.
 
There is no slowing down ever for Buitendach. Apart from coaching Tuks, he is also the assistant coach for the Polish national side. The week before they are due to play a test he flies to Poland to coach the forwards. 
Poland has won four of their last five tests. According to Buitendach, they are still a long way off from becoming a force in international rugby but they are getting there slowly but surely.
 
It will never be just about rugby for Buitendach. He sees it as a means to help him establish values within young men.
 
“Rugby is only a ‘pit stop’ in any player’s life. Through playing rugby they learn the value of discipline and loyalty and to handle themselves when faced with a challenge.”
 
Buitendach does not beat around the bush when asked what is important to him as a coach.
“Winning! It is like money.  It is not everything but whatever is second is way back. Winning is what I as a coach gets judged on. 
 
“But for me, it will never be winning at all cost. If any player is slack when it comes to training he won’t play in my team. I am not one of those coaches who would just select 15 talented players who don’t train in the hope of winning a game. I chose players who are prepared to put in the hard work and discipline during training.
“The point I want to make is that you want 15 players on a team that wants to play rather than talented players who are not serious about the game.”
 
“Good health,” is Buitendach’s answer when asked how he manages to remain as passionate about what he does.
 
“If you are not healthy you cannot coach. It is as simple as that.”
 
According to Buitendach, he has no bucket-list of things he would still like to achieve as a coach. For this season it is just important to help Tuks to win the Carlton Cup and he wants them to defend their South African Universities title.
- Author Wilhelm de Swardt

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