Popular Springbok management member leaves after 17 years
Today at 04:50 AM
There is no doubt that long-serving Springbok physiotherapy Rene Naylor is one of the most familiar faces in the South African management team.
Over the better part of the last decade, Naylor has been an instrumental member of the Springboks’ medical team, having also been involved in over 100 Test matches.
Often spotted on the sidelines, Naylor is generally one of the first to react and run onto the pitch whenever a Springbok player goes down with an injury, while she is renowned for her tireless work behind the scenes.
In just one of the numerous tributes that were shared by Springbok players, legendary winger Bryan Habana shared this on social media: “Rene, what a phenomenal contribution you've made to the springboks over the past 16,5 years!!
“Your passion, positivity, professionalism and commitment has been nothing short of remarkable… you can be so proud that you can move on with your head held high.”
Naylor also shared a particularly special video on social media, which showed how she was struggling to get security to allow her son Cullin on to the pitch after her final match with the Springboks in Cardiff on Sunday.
In the end, Springbok centre Jesse Kriel ‘comes to the rescue’, and helps bring her son onto the field to share in the final career moments with her.
Naylor also shared another picture standing alongside Siya Kolisi.
“It's about the kindness. The kindness shown to me on my journey. Sometimes it comes from unexpected people and places. It's the kindness that I will carry forward with me. Thank you to one of the greatest leaders in South Africa @siyakolisi … My last Springbok test match,” she wrote.
The posts can be seen below or by clicking here
Rene Naylor has been a key ‘fixture’ within the Springbok squad
Naylor has practiced as a physiotherapist for nearly 30 years and has worked almost exclusively with rugby players from amateur to elite level.
“Rene has almost 130 caps as part of the Springbok rugby medical team,” Naylor’s bio reads on her website.
“This culminated in World Cup success in 2019. Her professional contribution to the Springbok campaign demonstrated to girls and boys from all walks of South African life that they too could aspire to be on that world stage and achieve that dream.
“Rene Naylor has shown the power of perseverance and purpose many times over and carries that same dedication for the proverbial ‘full 80 minutes’ of her motherhood, physiotherapy, consulting and public speaking.
“Her vision to bridge the gap of injury management and prevention between professional and amateur rugby teams, has seen her as being regarded as one of the foremost global practitioners in sports physiotherapy.
“In a career that has seen Rene take position as part of Springbok management team boasting the highest staff compliment made up of women seen at a Rugby World Cup tournament. Her dedication to women empowerment and advancing sports injury prevention remains her primary focus.”
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