 Van Graan 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 May 2016, he was reportedly set to become the interim head coach of Bath Rugby following the dismissal of Mike Ford as director of rugby. [7] However, this appointment ultimately did not materialise.
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. [8] [9] [10] 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. [11] He signed a two-year contract extension with Munster and the IRFU in April 2019. [12] Van Graan left Munster upon the conclusion of the 2021–22 season. [13]
Van Graan joined English Premiership club Bath on a long-term contract for the 2022–23 season. [14] He was originally set to be working under Stuart Hooper, the Director of Rugby since 2019, as head coach, replacing Neal Hatley, who was transitioning to Forwards Coach, while Hooper retained his role as Director of Rugby. [15] However, after Bath's historic 64-0 loss to rivals Gloucester Rugby near the end of the 2021-22 season, a restructuring of the club's leadership took place. Hooper was moved from Director of Rugby to the newly created role of General Manager, with Van Graan becoming Head of Rugby and gaining full control of the first team for the 2022–23 season. [16]
Van Graan described Bath as being “broken as a club” when he arrived, [17] but after taking over following one of the worst seasons in the club's history, he successfully turned the team 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. [18]
In his second season in charge, Bath's improvement continued. In Europe, Bath reached the knockout stages of the Champions Cup for the first time since 2015, advancing to the Round of 16. With Bath sitting 3rd in the Premiership with just two games remaining in the regular season, Van Graan signed a new six-year contract with the club, committing his long-term future until the end of the 2029-30 campaign. [19] Bath finished the regular season in 2nd place, their highest finish since 2015. After defeating Sale Sharks in the semi-final, his side were defeated by Northampton Saints in the 2023-2024 Premiership Final by a score of 25-21. [20]
In December 2024, he guided Bath to 68–10 demolition of Saracens inflicting them with their worst defeat in Premiership history. [21]
He is the son of Barend van Graan, [6] the long-serving CEO of the Blue Bulls Rugby Union. [22]
Bath Rugby are a professional rugby union club in Bath, Somerset, England. They play in Premiership Rugby, England's top division of rugby. Founded in 1865 as Bath Football Club, since 1894 the club has played at the Recreation Ground in the city centre.
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