Pietersen appointed Sharks’ permanent head coach amid management shake-up

February 19, 2026 59

The Sharks have confirmed the appointment of JP Pietersen as their permanent head coach, as the Durban-based franchise unveiled a revamped management and coaching structure on Wednesday.

Pietersen, a former Springbok winger and Sharks legend, had been serving as interim head coach since John Plumtree stepped aside in November last year.

As part of the changes, Rory Duncan, joins the Sharks from Edinburgh Rugby as Chief of Staff, where he will oversee the day-to-day running of high-performance rugby.

In a statement, the Sharks said Duncan’s role will focus on “strategic coordination, governance alignment and execution across all aspects of the business.”

Meanwhile, former Springbok Sevens coach, Neil Powell, has been repositioned within the organisation and will now serve as Head of Junior Rugby, having previously held the role of Director of Rugby.

Sharks CEO, Shaun Bryans, said the franchise is confident Pietersen is the right man to lead the team forward.

“He has proven that he is the right man for the job, building on the strong foundations laid down by his predecessor,” Bryans said.

“This is the start of a new and exciting era of Sharks rugby, founded on mutual respect, passion and pride in what this jersey has meant over the years, and what it will continue to stand for. JP has brought a renewed focus on clarity, accountability and strong alignment with the rugby playing group. Performance matters and the improvement we have seen over the past two months is measurable and tangible.”

“Believe!” 🥹

The Hollywoodbets Sharks’ new permanent coach JP Pietersen’s word of encouragement to all the dreamers out there ✨

From Stellenbosch to Durban – and everything in between – his journey has been one of self-belief, courage and determination 💪 pic.twitter.com/gydT7BgrEr

— The Sharks (@SharksRugby) February 18, 2026