Gilbert speaks on his resignation

BOITUMELO KHUTSAFALO
Staff Writer | Friday July 25, 2008 00:00

 

'My resignation is purely a professional one, in that I need to go and work with Trainers and Educators of rugby in Europe to gain valuable experience that will one day, hopefully, benefit rugby in Botswana. There are no controversies and I have a good relationship with all the staff and executive,' he said. Gilbert's tenure as the coach of the national team, the Vultures, expires at the end of this month. He plans to go to Holland to coach one of the clubs in Amsterdam.

He revealed that he will take up his new post on August 12. 'I am going back to a club where I played for two years in my career called T' Gooi Rugby Club where I will take up the position of head coach. I will also be consulting in Training and Educating for the International Rugby Board in the region, which will help with development.'

Gilbert praised the players and the staff at the BRU for their support. 'I am sad that I will not be able to work with such a talented bunch of people and to not have the opportunity to sing our team songs with players in the changing room. I am really going to miss my players, they are the best people I have ever worked with and I believe they will be one of the strongest teams in Africa,' said the mentor who started working at the BRU in 2003 as a coaching consultant.

He explained that his relationship with players and the staff at BRU was very close. 'My relationship with the staff and players was a very close one. I got along with all the staff and players. I believe you are only as good as your staff and when your staff and players are happy, they will go an extra mile for you. All I can say is the executive, especially the president and the secretary, Farid Pandor have been instrumental in my development and I am eternally grateful to them,' he added.

Gilbert said he has led the Vultures to unprecedented success through the help of BRU management and the players. He believes the legacy will continue, especially if the union retains the current coaching staff and management. 'Ivor Greeves, Mark Colley and Charl Van Zyl have been instrumental in making sure we are well prepared and they are three of the most loyal and dedicated people I have ever worked with. BRU has a very bright future. They will be involved with the top division of African rugby for the next two years and I believe if they continue on this path, there is no reason why we cannot be challenging for the top spot in African rugby come 2011,' he predicted.

He said that it is fantastic to see how the pool of international players in the country has grown. 'It is very good for any sport to have depth and that is what the Vultures will have come 2011,' he said.

Gilbert does not rule out the possibility of coming back once his contract in Amsterdam expires. 'It would be nice to come back to Botswana and live in this amazing country and hopefully be able to do what I love and that is coach rugby,' he said. Gilbert has been the BRU High Performance Coach from 2005. He was also responsible for the day-to-day running of the BRU.

Meanwhile, BRU has said that Gilbert has been very instrumental in the development of rugby in the country. 'I must say I really enjoyed working with a man of calibre like Gareth who never cared where nor when he  was assigned as long as it was for the benefit of rugby development in Botswana. I do hope the expertise he has planted in the country shall drive us through,' said BRU secretary, Pandor.