Cape Town – Former Emerging Springbok-flyhalf Isma-eel Dollie officially started in a new role as kicking consultant at his alma mater, SACS (South African College High School), on Monday.
Isma-eel Dollie and Josh Strauss provide specialist coaching to the young rugby players at SACS. Pic: Adnaan Mohamed
Dollie’s appointment by SACS rugby consultant, South African born former Scotland loose forward, Josh Strauss, brings to an end the former SA Schools no.10’s remarkable 13-year sojourn as head coach of Union-Milnerton (Uni-Mil) Rugby Club.
This achievement speaks volumes of the 39-year-old’s loyalty and commitment to the club. However, he didn’t completely just cut all ties with the club that gave him his first coaching opportunity at the age of 27. He will still be involved at Uni-Mil as director of rugby, which will free him up to spend more time with his family.
Isma-eel Dollie wants to spend more time with his sons Rayyan (9) and Zakariyya (4). Pic: Supplied
“Yes, after 13 years with Uni-Mil, I felt I needed to take my rugby coaching journey on a new path which could potentially lead to higher honours,” an excited Dollie said in an exclusive interview on Monday.
“I made a presentation to the boys at 13:00 today and started with a kicking session at 16:30. I will be working with Under-14, 15, 16 and 19 boys thrice a week where I will cover all aspects of kicking like technical corrections of goal kicks, line kicks and box kicks as well as tactical kicking. The goal is to give the youngsters that attention to detail that the head coach is unable to do,” explained Dollie.
According to Strauss (37), ‘Ish’ as he is fondly known, was the perfect fit for the job at SACS because he has already been working with one or two of the boys at the school in their personal capacities last year.
Josh Strauss, SACS Rugby Consultant Pic: Supplied
“We saw huge benefits this year and last year with throwing specialists for the hookers and we’ve had one or two kicking sessions with different coaches but it was never full-time.
“With Ish having stepped down (as head-coach of Uni-Mil), he actually has some time available.
“And with him being an old boy, it was the perfect fit,” said Strauss who played for Boland, the Lions, and Bulls in South Africa, for Lons-le-Saunier and Stade Francais in France, Sale Sharks in England as well as a whopping 109 games for Glasgow Warriors and earning 15 test caps for Scotland.
Despite all his coaching roles, Dollie is also currently permanently employed as National Player Relationship Manager of the rugby players’ organisation, MyPlayers. His job at MyPlayers gives him an opportunity to make a valuable contribution to the professional game.
The 39-year-old’s role at MyPlayers includes providing valuable advice, insights and liaising with members, which includes Under-19, Under-21, provincial, URC, sevens men and women, as well as current Springbok players. In 2021 he was part of the Springbok management team managing the Covid 19 induced Bio Bubble during the victorious British and Irish Lions Series.
Isma-eel Dollie in camp with the Springboks in his role as National Player Relationship Manager of MyPlayers. Pic: Supplied
“Ish is a very nice guy. I’ve had dealings with him as a player myself back in the day through MyPlayers,” explains Strauss.
“He is regarded as somewhat of a SACS school legend. For a school to find a sought after coach with that much experience within our budget, is always great. He was also a good cricket player, but chose rugby.
“The feedback from the boys he worked with is great and they seem to be getting huge benefit from him already. Hopefully he can pass that on to all the boys,” adds Strauss.
The former Boland and Western Province flyhalf at junior and senior level has national honours, having represented SA Under-19s in 2003 and 2004, the SA Under-21s in 2006 and the Emerging Springboks in 2008.
He was included in former Springbok head coach Peter de Villiers’s first-ever training squad in 2008. He also played overseas, spending three months at the Brumbies Academy in Australia before playing two years at Mitsubishi Dynaboars in Japan.
Nick Maurer (pictured below), first team coach of SACS, said they are very excited to have Dollie on board as a kicking consultant for SACS Rugby.
“He’s an old boy, which is fantastic. He was a very successful player for SACS and played a crucial role in that South African under-19 side’s triumph over their All Black counterparts at the World Championships (in France in 2003),” Maurer recalls.
Dollie’s SACS teammate, scrumhalf Paul Delport, skippered the team and opened the SA scoring with an eighth-minute try in the final, whilst Dollie calmly slotted a drop goal in the 34th minute to ensure the side a 22-18 victory over New Zealand.
“Yes, he kicked that drop goal to win the final. Obviously he also has had a very good career as a coach. He has an impressive CV boasting an IRB (World Rugby) level three coaching qualification. He spent plenty of time at Uni-Mil and is now also still involved with the Boks at MyPlayers.
“Ish has great credentials and has an affinity with SACS. His son (Rayyan) is at the junior school alongside mine who is also at SACS Junior. So we have that common thread being old boys as well. To have someone of his caliber involved with our kicking is something which will be of massive benefit to SACS Rugby.
Isma-eel Dollie working with the boys at SACS Pic: Adnaan Mohamed
“The goal-kicking at first team level this year has been inconsistent at best. So what we are looking at is putting in a proper programme where it’s not only just the first team kickers, but a system where boys are being coached properly right from Under-14 level.
“So when they come to me they are outstanding kickers not just out of hand, but they are also excellent ball strikers that are reliable. We’re very excited about the journey ahead and we are looking forward to seeing what Ish has to offer. I have no doubt that he is going to be a huge success and kicking at SACS will be on the up,” added Maurer.
Dollie’s rugby coaching career started in 2012 when he stopped playing provincially at Western Province.
“At the time Allister Coetzee (former Springbok coach) was still the coach at WP. I was only 27-years-old and I still wanted to be involved with rugby. I wanted to join a club which was quite low down (in the WP club leagues) and establish my own authority on the team,” says Dollie.
“Back then team’s like SK Walmers and Primrose were quite high up in the 1 A’s and 1 B’s. Milnerton was in 2B which was sort of the fourth league to where Super League A is now.
Coach Dollie with two of his Uni-Mil players at Theo Marais Park in Milnerton. Pic: Supplied
“Club Chairperson Nolene and her husband Sarel Oosthuizen were running the club back then and are still running it now. Thirteen years is a long time to be a coach at one club and it’s a testament to them for the support they’ve given me to contribute to the club’s success.
“Being a head coach of a club is not a permanent position. You are in a caretaker role and you would hope to leave the club in a better space as when you first arrived there. Thirteen years is a third of my life that I dedicated in service to the club. I believe the club is still in a great space ending up in third position in Super League A this year,” Dollie adds proudly.
