 Van Grann in 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Birth name | Johann Christoffel van Graan | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 18 March 1980 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool, Pretoria | ||||||||||||||||||||
| University | University of Pretoria | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Johann Christoffel van Graan (born 18 March 1980) is a South African rugby union coach, currently the head coach for Bath.
Van Graan did not have a top level playing career. With a family background in rugby, he showed very strong interest in analysis from an early age. [1]
Van Graan started as a technical adviser for the Blue Bulls rugby team, initially working with their Vodacom Cup team, [2] before moving into the same role with their Currie Cup team [3] and the Bulls Super Rugby (then known as Super 14) team. He moved into a role as the teams' forwards and attack coach, helping the Bulls win three Super 14 titles in 2007 (under head coach Heyneke Meyer) and 2009 and 2010 (under Frans Ludeke). [4] [5]
He joined the Springboks coaching setup in 2012 as a technical adviser, where he again linked up with Heyneke Meyer. He became known for his attention to detail, utilising video analysis, and soon saw his role progressed to that of forwards coach. In the coaching restructure post-2015 Rugby World Cup, Van Graan was the only member of the coaching team to survive, and he continued in his role under new Springboks head coach Allister Coetzee. [6]
In October 2017, it was confirmed that Van Graan would be leaving South Africa to join Irish Pro14 side Munster as their new head coach. He replaced outgoing Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus, who was returning to South Africa. [7] [8] [9] His first game with Munster was a 36–19 win away to Zebre in the Pro14 on 26 November 2017, although he officially took charge of the side the day after. [10] He signed a two-year contract extension with Munster and the IRFU in April 2019. [11] Van Graan left Munster upon the conclusion of the 2021–22 season. [12]
Van Graan joined English Premiership club Bath on a long-term contract from the 2022–23 season. [13] Van Graan was originally set to be working under Stuart Hooper, who had been Director of Rugby since 2019. However, after Bath's historic 64-0 loss to rivals Gloucester Rugby near the end of the 2021-22 season, Hooper was transitioned from Director of Rugby to the new role of General Manager, with Van Graan becoming Head of Rugby for the 2022-23 campaign. [14]
Coming in after one of the worst seasons in the club's history, Van Graan turned Bath around. The team's improvement in form over the course of the campaign culminated with a 4 match winning streak at seasons end. A 61-29 thrashing of Saracens on the final day saw them edge neighbours and rivals Bristol Bears for eighth in the table and a place in the 2023-24 Champions Cup. [15]
He is the son of Barend van Graan, [6] the long-serving CEO of the Blue Bulls Rugby Union. [16]
Bath Rugby is a professional rugby union club in Bath, Somerset, England. They play in Premiership Rugby, England's top division of rugby.
Munster Rugby is one of the professional provincial rugby teams from the island of Ireland. They compete in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup. The team represents the IRFU's Munster Branch, which is responsible for rugby union throughout the Irish province of Munster. The team motto is "To the brave and faithful, nothing is impossible." This is derived from the motto of the MacCarthy clan – "Forti et Fideli nihil difficile". Their main home ground is Thomond Park, Limerick, though some games are played at Musgrave Park, Cork.
Heyneke Meyer is a professional rugby union coach, best known for coaching the Springboks from 2012 until 2015. Prior to coaching the Springboks, he spent many years at the domestic level in South Africa before coaching Leicester Tigers in England. Following his stint with the Boks, he also coached Stade Français. On 8 July 2021 he was announced as the new Director of Rugby for the Houston Sabercats of MLR.
Marcell Cornelius Coetzee is a South African rugby union player who is the captain for South African side the Blue Bulls. He plays as a flanker.
Damian de Allende is a South African professional rugby union player who currently plays for the South Africa national team and Japanese club Saitama Wild Knights. His usual position is either centre or wing. He was a member of the Springboks team that won a record-equalling third Rugby World Cup in 2019 and he was a member of the Springboks team that won a record-setting fourth Rugby World Cup in 2023. De Allende is a part of a few elite players to have won two world cup titles.
Rudolph Gerhardus Snyman is a South African rugby union player who plays as a lock for United Rugby Championship club Munster and the South Africa national team. Snyman was part of the South Africa team that won the Rugby World Cup in 2019 and 2023, and is widely known as 'The Viking' among fans and teammates in reference to his appearance.
The 2017–18 PRO14 was the seventeenth season of the professional rugby union competition originally known as the Celtic League. It is the first season to be referred to as the Guinness PRO14 Championship, with the addition of two South African teams.
The 2017–18 Munster Rugby season was Munster's seventeenth season competing in the Pro14, alongside which they also competed in the European Rugby Champions Cup. It was Rassie Erasmus's second season as director of rugby and Johann van Graan's first as head coach.
The 2017–18 season was Irish provincial rugby union side Connacht Rugby's seventeenth season competing in the Pro14, and the team's twenty-second season as a professional side. It was Kieran Keane's first and only season in charge of the side.
The 2018–19 Pro14 is the eighteenth season of the professional rugby union competition originally known as the Celtic League. It was the second season to be referred to as the Pro14.
Gavin Coombes is an Irish rugby union player who plays as a number eight for United Rugby Championship club Munster and the Ireland national team.
Matthew Abramo Gallagher is an English rugby union player for Bath in the Gallagher Premiership. His primary position is fullback, though can also play on either wing. Gallagher's father is John Gallagher, who won the 1987 Rugby World Cup with New Zealand.
Hollie Davidson is a professional rugby union referee who is contracted with the Scottish Rugby Union.
JP Ferreira is a South African rugby union coach, currently the defence coach for Bath.
The 2020–21 Munster Rugby season was Munster's twentieth season competing in the Pro14, alongside which they also competed in the European Rugby Champions Cup. It was Johann van Graan's fourth season as head coach.
The 2021–22 Munster Rugby season was Munster's twenty-first season competing in the United Rugby Championship, alongside which they also competed in the European Rugby Champions Cup. It was Johann van Graan's fifth and final season as head coach.
The 2022–23 Munster Rugby season was Munster's twenty-second season competing in the United Rugby Championship, alongside which they competed in the European Rugby Champions Cup. It was Graham Rowntree's first season as head coach following his promotion.