Pierre de Bruyn Appointed New Head Coach of Netherlands Women's Cricket Team

Pierre de Bruyn has been appointed as the new head coach of the Netherlands women's cricket team, taking over from Neil MacRae on August 1. The South African previously led Namibia's men's team to qualify for the 2021 T20 World Cup, their first since 1996. De Bruyn has been coaching the Fidelity Titans women's team in South Africa since April 2025. He expressed excitement about working with the Dutch squad, which recently qualified for the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup.

Key Points: Pierre de Bruyn Named Netherlands Women's Cricket Coach

  • Pierre de Bruyn named new head coach of Netherlands women's team from August 1
  • He succeeds Neil MacRae after team qualified for 2026 T20 World Cup
  • De Bruyn previously coached Namibia to 2021 T20 World Cup qualification
  • He has been coaching Fidelity Titans women's team since April 2025
2 min read

Pierre de Bruyn named new head coach of Netherlands women's team

Pierre de Bruyn named new head coach of Netherlands women's team, succeeding Neil MacRae from August 1. He previously led Namibia to T20 World Cup.

"I am very excited to get started with the Dutch squad, a talented group that managed to qualify for the big stage - Pierre de Bruyn"

Amsterdam, May 13

Pierre de Bruyn has been named the new head coach of the Netherlands women's team and will take charge from August 1. The South African will succeed Neil MacRae, as per the Royal Dutch Cricket Federation website.

Pierre de Bruyn, born March 31, 1977, played professional cricket until 2010, with his last stint coming for the Dolphins in South Africa. After retiring, he went on to build a strong coaching career.

He was appointed head coach of Leicestershire CCC in 2016. Under his guidance, Namibia's men's team qualified for the 2021 T20 World Cup, marking their first appearance in the tournament's final stage since 1996.

Since April 2025, he has been serving as head coach of the Fidelity Titans women's team in South Africa.

Pierre de Bruyn said he is excited to begin working with the Netherlands team, praising them as a talented side that earned qualification for a major tournament through strong determination and potential. He also thanked KNBC CEO Jacques Faul and Titans Cricket for their support during his time there and wished the team well for the future.

"I am very excited to get started with the Dutch squad, a talented group that managed to qualify for the big stage, which is a great achievement. It illustrates the willpower and potential of these players. I want to thank Dr Jacques Faul (CEO) and Titans Cricket for the support during my time at Titans Cricket and wish the team all the best for the future," de Bruyn said as quoted by the KNBC website.

Neil MacRae, who Pierre de Bruyn will succeed, said he has enjoyed working with the Netherlands women's team and highlighted that their qualification for the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup was the result of two years of hard work and dedication from the players. He also wished de Bruyn success in continuing the team's development in the next phase.

"It has been great to work with the Netherlands women's team, with qualification for the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup the culmination of two years of hard work and dedication by the players. We wish Pierre every success in continuing the development of the team as he leads them in the next phase of their journey," he said.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

A
Arjun K
From coaching Leicestershire to qualifying Namibia for T20WC - de Bruyn knows his craft. Netherlands women's team is on a good trajectory, especially after that World Cup qualification. Exciting times for Dutch cricket!
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Priya S
Nice to see women's cricket growing beyond the usual big nations. Netherlands qualifying for 2026 T20 World Cup shows the effort MacRae put in. Hope de Bruyn continues the good work. Wish him all the best!
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Ravi K
While de Bruyn has a good record, I hope he focuses on grassroots development in Netherlands. Associate nations need long-term planning, not just short-term results. The women's game deserves sustained attention.
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Rohit L
Great to see South African coaches spreading their expertise globally. De Bruyn's work with Namibia was impressive - took them to T20WC after decades. Dutch women have a good leader now. All the best! 🏏
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Suresh O
I hope the Netherlands cricket board gives de Bruyn enough resources and support. Coaching associate teams often means working with limited infrastructure. The talent is there - just need proper backing.
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Nitin Z
Smart move by Netherlands. De Bruyn has experience across formats - men's and women's, associate and full member setups. That versatility will be valuable. Also good to see MacRae's gracious words

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