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World Cup winner JP Pietersen has retired with immediate effect to move into coaching

(Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

JP Pietersen, the 2007 Springboks World Cup winner, has called time on a 16-year playing career to take up a junior coaching role at the soon-to-be Guinness PRO16 Sharks. The 34-year-old winger made his last appearance in an October Super Rugby win for the Sharks over the Lions.

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Pietersen joined the Sharks academy in 2005 straight out of school and went on to play more than 180 times across two spells with the South African franchise. He also played for the Wild Knights in Japan, Leicester in England and Toulon in France.  

Capped 70 times by the Springboks, Pietersen was a starting winger when South Africa defeated England in Paris to win the 2007 World Cup while he also featured in the 2009 Test series victory over the British and Irish Lions.   

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Jonny Wilkinson and Gregor Townsend guest on RugbyPass All Access ahead of Saturday’s Calcutta Cup clash

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Jonny Wilkinson and Gregor Townsend guest on RugbyPass All Access ahead of Saturday’s Calcutta Cup clash

Pietersen said: “It has been an absolute privilege and an honour to play for the Sharks, a team that I have supported all my life and through that journey, I got to represent my country. 

“I close this chapter on my playing career knowing that I gave my very best to the game that gave me everything I have. I was very fortunate that I took the opportunities I had and now it is all about giving back to rugby, passing on what I have learned in my career.

https://twitter.com/TheSharksZA/status/1357650165742653441

“I take this opportunity to thank every person that has had an impact on my life and career. I cannot thank you enough. The Sharks have given me a wonderful opportunity to move into a coaching role and I’m excited for what the future holds. I hope I can make a positive impact in my new role.”

Sharks CEO Eduard Coetzee added: “We congratulate JP on a fantastic playing career.  His professionalism over the years and loyalty to the Sharks brand will always be admired. “To have someone of his calibre enter the Sharks junior coaching structures is a massive plus for us.

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“His wealth of experience and success at all levels bodes well for the youngsters that he will get to mentor. JP is truly deserving of all the success he has achieved, and we are positive that the proud legacy he has carved out in his playing career, will continue in this new chapter as a coach.”

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JW 1 hour ago
Why England's defence of the realm has crumbled without Felix Jones

This piece is nothing more than the result of revisionist fancy of Northern Hemisphere rugby fans. Seeing what they want to see, helped but some surprisingly good results and a desire to get excited about doing something well.


I went back through the 6N highlights and sure enough in every English win I remembered seeing these exact holes on the inside, that are supposedly the fallout out of a Felix Jones system breaking down in the hands of some replacement. Every time the commentators mentioned England being targeted up the seam/around the ruck or whatever. Each game had a try scored on the inside of the blitz, no doubt it was a theme throughout all of their games. Will Jordan specifically says that Holland had design that move to target space he saw during their home series win.


Well I'm here to tell you they were the same holes in a Felix Jones system being built as well. This woe is now sentiment has got to stop. The game is on a high, these games have been fantastic! It is Englands attack that has seen their stocks increase this year, and no doubt that is what SB told him was the teams priority. Or it's simply science, with Englands elite players having worked towards a new player welfare and management system, as part of new partnership with the ERU, that's dictating what the players can and can't put their bodies through.


The only bit of truth in this article is that Felix is not there to work on fixing his defence. England threw away another good chance of winning in the weekend when they froze all enterprise under pressure when no longer playing attacking footy for the second half. That mindset helped (or not helped if you like) of course by all this knee jerk, red brained criticism.

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