Ivan van Rooyen (born 1982) is a South African professional rugby union football coach. He was short-term head coach of the Lions team that played in the Super Rugby competition. He is also the coach of the Golden Lions team that competes in the Currie Cup. Later he was made permanent head coach of Lions, he remains head coach as of 2022. The Lions now compete in the United Rugby Championship.
Career and contract information Cash van Rooyen climbed through the coaching ranks at the Lions Rugby Union; based in Johannesburg, South Africa. He started at the union in 2009 as a sport scientist and became Performance Excellence Manager in 2018. He became permanent head coach in 2019.
Rumours circulated in February 2023 that van Rooyen's contract was up for renewal. Despite achieving a win rate of less than 40%, his contract was expected to be "more lucrative than John Dobson", who won the United Rugby Championship in the 2021/22 season with the DHL Stormers. In the same season the Emirates Lions failed to make the playoffs, finishing 12th out of the 16 team competition.
Mzwake Nkosi took over his Currie Cup duties from 2024, whereby Nkosi was able to achieve a Runner-Up finish for the Fidelity ADT Lions. However, in the middle of the 2025 season, van Rooyen can back and replaced Mzwake Nkosi to achieve a runner up finish, losing to the Suzuki Griquas.
Career statistics
Head coach +Managerial Statistics and PerformanceUnionTeamSeasonLeagueWinsDrawsLossesTotalWin %Lions Rugby UnionGolden Lions2019Currie Cup503862.50Golden Lions2020Currie Cup6241250.00Emirates Lions2020Super Rugby Unlocked204633.33Golden Lions2021Currie Cup2371216.67Emirates Lions2021/22United Rugby Championship80101844.44Golden Lions2022Currie Cup20101216.67Emirates Lions2022/23United Rugby Championship9091850.00Emirates Lions2022/23EPCR Challenge Cup312650.00Fidelity ADT Lions2023Currie Cup6081442.86Emirates Lions2023/24United Rugby Championship9091850.00Emirates Lions2024/25EPCR Challenge Cup203540.00Emirates Lions2024/25United Rugby Championship80101844.44Fidelity ADT Lions2025Currie Cup301475.00Emirates Lions2025/26EPCR Challenge Cup00220.00Emirates Lions2025/26United Rugby Championship304742.86Total6168014741.50
Honours
As a head coach
Lions Currie Cup Premier Division Runner-Up 2019
Currie Cup Premier Division Runner-Up 2025
References