An old Upington High School learner was recently appointed as the assistant forward coach of the Blue Bulls’ u.21 Currie Cup team.
Jaco Koch, a versatile sportsman who matriculated in 2002 at Upington High School is the former Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies) and Blue Bulls u.18 Craven Week head coach.
Koch will only join the Bulls for the period of the u.21 Currie Cup and return to Affies afterwards.
Koch was appointed as first XV coach at Affies in 2015 and as the head of Affies Rugby in September 2016.
He was replaced as head of rugby at Affies at the end of 2019 by Ryno van der Merwe, but remained the coach of the first XV.
Koch played in the first XV as well as Griquas Craven Week for two years.
In 2002 he was first XV captain as well as captain of the Griquas Craven Week team.
He studied Human Movement Science and Physiology at the North-West University (NWU) while also playing rugby.
He since completed his honours degree in Biokinetics and his masters degree in Human Movement Science.
While at the NWU, he represented the university and the Leopards as a loose-head prop and captain during his u.19, u.20 and u.21 years.
He also represented the Leopards amateur team, NWU first XV and the SA student team.
As u.21 player Jaco Koch was the NWU Rugby Institute’s as well as Leopards’ rugby player of the year.
In 2009 he was also chosen as the NWU Rugby Institute senior rugby player of the year.
Jaco represented the NWU first XV in more than 100 games including three seasons in the Varsity Cup.
While studying, he was appointed as forward coach of Potchefstroom Gymnasium’s u.14A and B, and u.15A and B teams.
He also was head coach of the Patria Mens Hostel. While still a player at the PUK Rugby Institute he was appointed as the head biokineticist.
After a serious injury halted Jaco’s rugby dreams, he was appointed as biokineticist and conditioning coach at Affies in 2010.
Since 2010 he was also appointed as biokineticist and conditioning coach at the Blue Bulls Grant Khomo team, as well as the u.19 Craven Week team.
In 2016 he was appointed as forward coach for the Bulls u.19 Academy Week team and as head coach for the Bulls Craven Week team in 2018.
