Coach Profile: Handró le Roux (Boland Landbou)
Like many others, Boland Landbou’s 1st XI Head Cricket Coach, Handró le Roux, began his cricketing journey by playing in the garden at home. For many years, the sport was, to him, a hobby.
“I remember playing cricket in the front yard in Hoedspruit, where we used a big thorn tree as wickets,” he recalled. “That venue is where I had my first memories of playing cricket.
“My first live match was a Test at Newlands between the Proteas and Pakistan. We walked away with a win on day three, and I took a photo with Makhaya Ntini.”
When presented with an opportunity to coach the sport, Le Roux decided to give it a shot.
“Initially, I started coaching at a primary school because there were coaches needed at Hugenote Primary School, in Wellington.
“I started coaching u7 and u8 mini-cricket when I was still studying at university. I started coaching at high school level in 2015, when I started at Boland Landbou.
“It’s almost scary to consider how fast the years have gone by. Over the last decade, we [Boland Landbou] have been up and down. I would like us to get to a place where we can compete with your ‘top cricket schools’ year in and year out. We consistently beat some of the top schools in a season, but not regularly enough to be part of the conversation.
“A big positive for us is that we have provincial representation every year, and across multiple age groups. We recently had an SA Schools’ player (Francois Prins) for the first time in a few years.”
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither was the coach’s love of cricket. Rather, his appreciation for it, like a fine wine, grew better with age.
“I only really fell in love with coaching about three or four years after I began doing it. Coaching has become a part of my everyday life, and it’s a big part of who I am,” he explained.
“I now really enjoy it, as the role allows me more time to develop and form bonds with the team. It’s different to other sporting codes, where the contact time with your players is limited.”
Le Roux shared his thoughts with SuperSport Schools Plus about a recent highlight with the Boland Landbou 1st XI: “We played in the final of the Diamantveld Wildeklawer T20 in 2025. That was a big positive for us. It tells us that we have what it takes to compete. It’s something that I am very proud of.
“I feel fortunate to have coached the 1st XI for a few seasons now. I’m currently standing on 180 matches as the Head Coach.”
Much like a farmer develops methods to reap the best harvest, Le Roux’s coaching philosophy has been influenced by those who coached the 1st XI before him.
“When I got into coaching, the 1st XI coaches at Boland Landbou at that time were Prieur du Plessis and Jan Frylinck Snr. (father of Jan Frylinck, who represents Namibia). A lot of my coaching development is from what I learnt from them, as well as some coaches from rival schools. It’s a copy-and-paste philosophy, with a twist of my own flair.
“I always looked up to Jacques Kallis when I was growing up. I loved the way he played the game; hard but fair. I don’t think people realise how much time and effort he spent growing his game, as well as helping his teammates. I try to do the same with my boys.”
Boland Landbou has been knocking on the door of the “top dogs club” for a few years now. With Handró le Roux guiding the Farmers, membership of that club appears to be an attainable goal in 2026.
