Matimu Manganyi is an assistant coach for the Maties Rugby junior men’s team. His aim is to leave a legacy built on support and self-confidence, motivating players to believe in themselves. He spoke to SMF News’ Kuhle Tshabalala about his journey from being a rugby player to a rugby coach.
For Matimu Manganyi, the rugby field has always been a place of possibilities. It is a field of opportunities where one gets to see their vision come to life, says Manganyi.
“As a player, I thought of the field as a place where dreams come true […] where you get to live out your dreams, your goals,” says Manganyi, who is now a rugby coach at Maties Rugby. “It all happens on the field. Even as a coach, it’s still the same.”
Growing up in Polokwane, Limpopo, Manganyi says rugby has always been part of his life since the start of his primary school days at Pietersburg Noord Primary School in Polokwane. He was a risk taker from a young age. He also took the initiative to empower himself in the sport.
“I think I started playing already at eight [years old] in 2005,” says Manganyi, in an interview with SMF News.
“When [the coaches] realised that I was eight years old – and these were under nines – that’s when my journey kind of got cut short because they were saying I’m still too young to be part of the group. And they said if I really love it, [I should] just come back at the end of the year,” he says.
He did as advised by his then soon-to-be rugby coaches and never looked back, says Manganyi.
Matimu Manganyi is a Maties Rugby assistant coach for the junior men’s team. He played tighthead prop for FNB Maties between 2021 and 2022. PHOTO: Kuhle Tshabalala
Before becoming a coach, Manganyi, a former Ben Vorster Secondary School learner, built an impressive record as a prop during his days as a Varsity Cup rugby player. This is according to an NWU Eagles – Potchefstroom Campus Facebook post.
He has represented North West University (NWU) Eagles and Stellenbosch University (SU) Maties Rugby teams for Varsity Cup, according to the Varsity Cup website. Manganyi, who studied Human Movement Science and Psychology at NWU and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) at SU, has also played for the senior Leopards Rugby team in the first division Currie Cup and Supersport Challenge tournaments, according to the same Facebook post.
“In all the teams I have played for, I was in leadership committees, [which] involved mentorship of players with the group,” says Manganyi.
He laughs as he mentions that he actually loves cricket and thought he was going to be a cricketer.
“I still enjoyed [cricket] at school level […] but rugby was always the main sport that I took part in throughout,” he says.
His passion for sports goes beyond rugby, with many memories of also taking part in soccer games and wrestling matches with friends, where the game plan was to have fun, he says.
“For me, it was more about just having fun with everyone and not necessarily specialising in a specific area,” he says.
Becoming Ganji
The nickname “Ganji” started becoming part of Manganyi’s brand in Grade 7 when he got a bursary to attend Ben Vorster Secondary School in Tzaneen, says Manganyi.
“The [person] who gave me my bursary struggled to say my surname,” he says. “My surname is Manganyi [and] I heard all different variations and then eventually when I got to Ben Vorster, one of the coaches just called me Ganji […] and it stuck.”
Throughout the years, the nickname “Ganji” has become an important part of his identity – so much so that it’s not uncommon for people to only later realise that his real name is actually Matimu, he says.
“It’s a fun part of my journey,” he says. “It just reminds me of the journey that I’ve taken to get to this point […] and it just shows how much weight your name carries over time.”
From player Ganji to coach Ganji
Manganyi, currently 28, started coaching in 2017 at the age of 20, while he was still a student at NWU and playing for the Leopards. He participated in various coaching clinics.
“In 2017 I was still a player. In Potch, they used to host clinics where different schools would come in. That’s where the love for coaching started […] participating in the coaching clinics and working with the school kids from the surrounding areas.”
He says he was motivated to transition from playing into coaching after realising that it was an opportunity to make a difference.
“I wanted to go into coaching as soon as I got a taste for it and could see myself doing it long term,” says Manganyi. “It is also a great opportunity to impact young men and women’s lives for the better.”
He was also influenced and inspired by his rugby coaches and other rugby players.
“I take my influences from many places, but one of my coaches who encouraged me to start coaching was Jonathan Mokuena and, while here at Maties, the likes of Drickus Hancke, Eddie Fredericks, Kabamba Floors, and Craig Barry have guided and shaped my journey as a coach,” says Manganyi.
It was not intimidating for him to move from being one of the players to leading the players, he says.
“It was more of getting to the point where [the players] see the difference between Matimu the coach and Matimu the player,” says Manganyi. “It has become easier over the years.”
He says coaching is not a challenge for him and that he looks forward to meeting different kinds of players from different parts of the country, as well as finding a way to form lasting bonds.
Matimu Manganyi is fondly known as Ganji, a nickname that has been part of his brand since Grade 7. PHOTO: Kuhle Tshabalala
Coaching philosophy
As a coach, his philosophy is to help players with confidence by reminding them to start with what they do well first, says Manganyi.
“I always believe that [strengths] should be your starting point,” according to Manganyi. “That should be a reference and then we can start building on your weaker areas.”
Manganyi says he enjoys seeing his players grow as rugby players and how the process develops their characters and personalities.
Sesethu Ntamnani, who trains with Manganyi for the Maties Women’s Rugby team, describes his impact on the team as “effective”.
“With his involvement within the team, we’ve seen so much difference,” says Ntamnani. “During our last games, we saw how we needed his involvement because we progressed.”
Coach Ganji is an approachable person and is always motivating players, according to Sesethu Dumke, a Maties Women’s Rugby player who recently joined the team.
“It’s easy to talk to him and approach him because he’s a patient person,” says Dumke. “He takes note of the skills that you already have and the skills that you need, and then he ensures that he fills in those gaps.”
Coach Ganji addressing the Maties men’s u20 team. The team practices four times a week. SMF News was at one of the practice sessions. PHOTO: Kuhle Tshabalala
An ideal mentor
When it comes to daily training, team culture, and brotherhood, team members need to be accountable to each other whilst having fun, says Manganyi.
“It does get tough […] and knowing that the guys that you’re with at training are willing to push themselves to the limit to get the job done instils confidence,” he says.
Sethu Mshengu, Manganyi’s friend, says he is a role model to many.
“He’s lived life in a good way [and] lives in service of others by choosing to be a coach […] I have a lot of admiration and respect for him and what he has done,” says Mshengu. “For us young guys, he’s an ideal mentor.”
A support system for tackling life
When it comes to personal grounding and support structures, Manganyi mentions that family and faith are anchors in his life.
“I met my wife […] at church,” says Manganyi. “We’re married now [and] it’s been a year or so now, and having her also there with me helps spiritually when we talk about things […] Sometimes when you’re feeling low, just having someone who can pray with you [helps].”
Rugby nuggets for life
Rugby teaches people to be accountable and pursue excellence, says Manganyi.
“As much as it was to play rugby, it also prepared me for life because those are a lot of the skills […] you need to have in order to be successful in life,” he says.
Manganyi says he wants to leave a legacy that will inspire rugby players to believe in themselves.
“Care and belief,” he says. “Those are the two things I want my legacy to be in terms of Maties Rugby and life itself.”
Matimu Manganyi, a Maties Rugby assistant coach for the junior men’s team, says he wants to leave a legacy that will inspire rugby players to believe in themselves. Manganyi spoke to SMF News. VIDEO: Kuhle Tshabalala