INANDA resident, Felo Sangweni has described his selection as assistant coach (backline) for the Lithuanian senior rugby team as a dream come true.

The 25-year-old, who has been in Lithuania for the last nine months, has enjoyed a stint as head coach for the Regbio klubas Žalgiris (Žalgiris Rugby Club), who finished third in the country’s premier rugby competition.

Sangweni, who previously played for the Jaguars RFC and the Sharks Academy, joins a fellow South African, Ntando ‘Biza’ Manyosha, who has been the head coach of the Lithuanian national team since 2014.

“Biza used to coach Jaguars and he was the one that said there was an opportunity to coach in Lithuania. We had talked about the possibility of me coming over in December last year. I mulled it over for a little while before leaving South Africa of January of this year. I was ready for a new challenge in my life and I felt going abroad would open new doors for me in my career.

“It’s all about building your CV and gaining confidence as a coach. I joined the Žalgiris rugby team based in Kaunas, which is the second busiest city in Lithuania. We finished third in the premier league of the country which was a great start to my career as a coach,” he explained.

His performances did not go unnoticed and Sangweni was soon called up to apply for the assistant coach for the Lithuanian national team by the director of rugby.

“When they announced that I had made the cut, it was an absolute dream come true. As a player you always want to get your provincial colours, which I managed to do and then get your national colours. This for me is like getting my national colours, it’s a huge honour. My aim now is to help the team do well in their new division,” he said.

So far the team has played the Czech Republic and Poland in the European Championship Trophy, winning one and losing to Poland.

Sangweni remains optimistic about the small European nation qualifying for the world cup.

“We recently just qualified for the division, which is the third tier of international rugby. I think when you consider rugby was only introduced in 1961 and that it isn’t the main sport in the country (basketball remains the number one sport in Lithuania), the team have come a long way. I have immense respect for the players because they aren’t professional, they all have jobs and still commit time to play for their country. I can see this team qualifying for an upcoming world cup, we just have to keep building steadily and improving on our performances,” he said.

Sangweni is currently in Durban during an international break due to the severe winter in the country.

The Lithuania team are due to play Switzerland, Poland and Portugal next year.

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