Former South Africa centre Lorinda Brown was regarded as a mother figure during her glittering playing career. Now, she is displaying the same maternal instincts as a coach.
The nickname Ouma – grandmother in English – may seem irreverent, but it was given to Lorinda as a mark of respect by her team-mates in South Africa’s national teams.
As a player, Lorinda began her rugby career in 2004, and appeared in four Rugby World Cups – two in each format – which gave her senior status among her team-mates. But it was the care she showed for those around her which won their respect.
Lorinda has now taken the same empathetic approach into her coaching career as an Assistant Coach of the San Clemente Rhinos, in the Rugby Tens Championship.
“When I was a player I made a promise to myself that when I retired I needed to share my knowledge with other players, especially the females,” Lorinda told World Rugby.
“Team culture, for me, is very important because if you have everyone’s buy-in it will make a huge difference. You get players on the same page with the same vision, working as a team and having trust and integrity.”
Lorinda now has the opportunity to share her ethos and exchange ideas with other talented female coaches from around the world, as part of the latest cohort on the Gallagher High Performance Academy.
“It’s high time for us females to be the captains and drivers of this ship. It will also play a huge role connecting with the players to be their safe spot,” she said.
“This programme will definitely make it happen because this is a platform where we will grow as a group and as individuals.
“It is very nice seeing former players getting this opportunity, to be part of a culture they’ve started. This programme will help us, as females, to share our challenges and work together on them.”
Lorinda also hopes that her participation in the Gallagher High Performance Academy will help her become a more confident coach.
“I hope that I can lead sessions with confidence, and also be able to voice my opinion and stand by decisions,” she said.
Those are characteristics that Lorinda sees in Rassie Erasmus, the Springboks’ double Rugby World Cup-winning Coach, who she cites as her role model.
“He is sometimes a player-driven coach. He always asks the players for input, although he does have his own way of seeing things, which makes the players feel valued,” she said.
