Van Zyl Discusses Cardiff Role After Benetton Coaching Decision
Corniel van Zyl, who earned eight caps playing for Italy, has engaged in "positive conversations" regarding his future with Cardiff Rugby following his unsuccessful bid for the head coach position at United Rugby Championship (URC) rivals Benetton.
The South African has been leading the team at the Arms Park during the 2025-26 season after Matt Sherratt departed just before the season to join the Wales coaching staff as an assistant.
Last month, Van Zyl acknowledged preliminary discussions with Benetton, where he spent eight seasons as a player, about the possibility of becoming their head coach. However, the Italian club has since appointed former Wales head coach Wayne Pivac. Meanwhile, Van Zyl has continued talks concerning his role at Cardiff.
"I have had positive conversations with Cardiff and we will hopefully be able to say a little bit more in the near future," said Van Zyl, who remains under contract for another season. "I still have my forwards coach role in place, it's just whether it changes to a different role."
Cardiff Squad Development and Recruitment Amid Uncertainty
Van Zyl has also been involved in shaping Cardiff's squad for the upcoming season. The club has been linked with a potential move for Wales and Harlequins fly-half Jarrod Evans. Evans, who featured off the bench in every Six Nations match except the opening game against England, left Cardiff in 2023.
Recruitment efforts face challenges due to ongoing uncertainty in Welsh professional rugby, but Van Zyl remains optimistic about the club's position.
"We focused more on retention and trying to keep the players we have in the set-up, and it's really positive," he explained. "To look outside of Wales at Welsh-qualified players, it does become a little more tricky but we have a process to follow and we are starting to look."
Wales Internationals Traveling to South Africa for URC Matches
Van Zyl's prospects for the head coach role are supported by Cardiff's strong standing in the URC, currently placed fifth and well positioned to qualify for the play-offs. The team is one point behind second-placed Stormers and ten points ahead of ninth-placed Connacht but faces a challenging double-header in South Africa.
Cardiff will face the Bulls in Pretoria on Friday at 17:00 GMT and then the Sharks in Durban a week later. The squad has traveled with six of their eight Wales internationals.
Only flanker Alex Mann and wing Josh Adams, both of whom started all five games in the Six Nations, have remained at home and will only be called upon if injuries occur.
James Botham traveled after making an early appearance against Scotland and then starting against Ireland and Italy. Centre Ben Thomas started only in round one against England, hooker Liam Belcher came off the bench at Twickenham, and wing Mason Grady appeared against England and France. These three players were released by Wales for game-time during the Six Nations' fallow week, starting against Leinster.
Tight-head props Keiron Assiratti and Sam Wainwright did not participate in the championship.
Additional Context and
Van Zyl’s continued involvement with Cardiff and the squad’s competitive positioning in the URC highlight the club’s ambitions despite coaching changes and recruitment challenges. The ongoing developments in Welsh professional rugby and player retention strategies remain key factors as the season progresses.
