Team Meyer fully support their man

It does not happen often that a laaitie celebrates his 13th birthday on the same day that his dad becomes the new Springbok coach.

But that was the present young Heyneke Meyer received on Friday. After a tense week of media speculation and a thinly veiled tug-of-war in the upper echelons of rugby management, his father was appointed as coach. And, like her son, Linda Meyer believes her 44-year-old hubby is the best man for the job.

Meyer snr, speaking at the South African Rugby Union (Saru) headquarters in Cape Town, said: "There are only two kinds of rugby: winning rugby and losing rugby - and I subscribe to the first type."

Many top rugby figures, including retired Springbok and Blue Bulls captain Victor Matfield , have voiced their admiration for Meyer. Succeeding Peter de Villiers in the hot seat, he has been appointed for four years.

But nowhere was the joy felt more acutely than at the Meyer home in Pretoria.

Linda, his wife of 18 years and the mother of his three sons, vowed on Friday to support her man every step of the way.

Speaking to the Sunday Times on Friday, she said: "It's very special for our son, Heyneke, who turns 13 today, and for the whole family. We have got all sorts of celebrations here today."

The couple, who were high-school sweethearts, have met challenges head-on before.

In May 2002 Meyer's career as Blue Bulls coach hit a rocky patch. And on the same day that his father was undergoing heart bypass surgery, Linda was diagnosed with cancer at the same hospital. She beat the disease and had been perfectly healthy for 10 years, she said. She has since completed a PhD in plant technology and does research and product development for the local mushroom industry. She is based at the University of Pretoria, her husband's alma mater.

Heyneke jnr and the couple's other sons, Vic, 14, and De Wet, 10, attend school in Pretoria.

Linda sounded overwhelmed hours after the Saru announcement. "It's all very fresh and new. I honestly don't think there is anyone better for the job," she said. "There are few people, if any, with a greater passion for rugby. He has always been like that."

The couple own a fly-fishing lodge on the Ngogo River skirting the Drakensberg foothills.

"It's our hiding place, our place to rest. It's a very special place for Heyneke," said Linda.

Meyer's peers agree that he has given much to the game in South Africa. He, in turn, says his rugby achievements have come at a price and that his family life has suffered.

"I really want to be more involved in my three sons' lives and spend more time with my wife. Whatever happens, though, I believe that it's important to find out what you enjoy in life and to follow it with a passion, and I'll do just that," he told a student newspaper at Tuks, where he had studied sports psychology.

While studying, Meyer honed his skills as a rugby player, coach and part-time sports administrator for his residence.