Boland fitness guru turns moeg into magic.

When he steps into his office at the Sanlam Boland Cavaliers training base in Wellington at the beginning of a pre-season, Iver Aanhuizen knows he is the most hated man.

“‘Pasop, hier kom Meneer Moegmaak’ [Watch out, here comes Mister Tired] or ‘Ai, dis al weer Pay week’, would probably be some of the friendlier snide comments thrown the Sanlam Boland Cavaliers Strength & Conditioning coaches’ way.

But Aanhuizen knows to pay those remarks no mind. He has a job to do, and that is to make sure Cavas’ head coach Hawies Fourie gets to pick from the best crop of conditioned players to go out and perform for their union in this season’s Currie Cup Premier Division.

“I don’t know if you will be able to write some of the things I have been called during a preseason,” Aanhuizen says candidly.

“Look, at the start of the season and even during a season, no one likes the S&C guy. That is something I have made peace [with] when I decided to go into this field.

“There are even some of those guys that come and tell you, ‘Coach, I don’t want to talk to you until the season comes to an end.’”

Aanhuizen, however, does not mind that, because for the past three seasons that he has been at the Boland, the hard work put into the players when they meet up at his cathedral of pain has helped the Cavas achieve their goals.

The first of which was the 2023 Currie Cup First Division title in his second season as Boland S&C coach, under the guidance of former coach Franzel September.

A second Currie Cup First Division crown, under head coach Hawies Fourie, followed. Still, Aanhuizen and the entire Cavas management knew that if they wanted these men to compete at the Currie Cup Premier Division level, the standards would need to be raised.

“We as management got together and had a proper look at where we fell short when we played in last year’s SA Cup campaign, Aanhuizen explains of Boland ending fifth in last year’s qualifying competition for the 2024 Currie Cup Premier Division.

“The first thing we decided on is that the gym facilities at the union needed to be upgraded. In the gym, the foundation is laid for the first few weeks of the preseason before the guys hit the training field.

“We also went and looked at what levels we needed to get to, to go out and compete against teams like Pumas, Griquas, Griffons and the Cheetahs. We realised that we needed to get stronger and fitter, and it was something that we invested in hugely.”

And after an earlier start and end to the Currie Cup First Division, the Cavas eventually began to build the foundation for a level-up Cavas squad for this season’s SA Cup campaign as Aanhuizen got to work.

With the result of the earlier kick-off to the 2024 preseason paying off, the Cavas ended the SA Cup in fourth position and secured their spot in the Currie Cup Premier Division.

Aanhuizen is, however, not one to rest on his laurels and immediately knew the bar needed to be raised again as bigger dogs like Western Province, Bulls, Sharks, and the Lions lie in wait in South Africa’s top provincial competition.

He plans on turning moeg into magic when the Cavas take the field for the July 27 Carling Currie Cup opener against the Toyota Cheetahs, Aanhuizen says: “We know the intensity will now get raised. We will now play against teams that people are probably going to say are far above our level, but we are not afraid of that challenge. That is why we are here, what we signed up for, and what we need to focus on.

“That is the great thing about conditioning. Improving the one weakness you might identify during a campaign often leads to another challenge that needs to be addressed.

“After 2-3 weeks, I can usually pick up what worked to improve them as players, and if something is lagging, we go and find a way best suited to a player to raise their standard.”

The former University of Stellenbosch rugby player, who completed his BSc and Honours degrees in Sports Science at the famed tertiary institution, not only talks fitness but lives it daily.

Picking the brains of fellow S&C coaches in the Boland area and tapping into knowledge from former lecturers is also how Aanhuizen tries to stay ahead of the trends.

“Yes, I truly enjoy my job, although it can be stressful,” he says. “Sometimes no one sees the work S&C coaches put in – only when the season comes to an end.

“It is early morning to work, and then, normally being the last one to leave, that is how a normal day for me goes. I enjoy it because the environment that I get to work in here at the Boland is a happy one.

“I am someone who is into fitness, and for me to go on a journey with the players to get them to their best physical condition is something that I take pride in.

“Not all days are sunshine and roses; some days can get tough, especially when the results on the playing field don’t turn out the way you wanted them to.”

However, Aanhuizen is ready to see his players cash in after some more gruelling ‘Pay week’ as he hopes the Sanlam Boland Cavaliers’ return to the Carling Currie Cup topflight turns the brazen language he gets in the corridors into more praises in the playoffs.