HANGING on Sana Govender’s wall at home in Donnybrook is a photograph of Skibbereen Rugby Club’s trailblazing women’s team from their treble-winning season.

It’s a daily reminder of where his coaching journey began.

‘That photo follows me everywhere I go,’ he says.

It was taken at Skibbereen Rugby Club after a victory against Dolphin during the club’s remarkable 2020/21 campaign. Govender and his players are gathered together, celebrating another memorable win.

‘I do a lot of reflecting, and when I think back to where it all started in those Skibb days,’ he says.

‘You look back on moments like the one in that photo and it reminds me how special that group was. At the time, though, you’re not thinking about anything beyond the next game.

‘Hindsight is great because it gives you the bigger picture.’

Govender’s coaching journey began in Skibbereen in 2017. Nine years later, he is head coach of the Leinster senior women’s team – a rapid rise with its roots firmly in West Cork.

‘Mags Coombes texted me when I got this role to congratulate me, and I said to her that if it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be where I am today,’ he says.

‘She was club president at the time and got me involved with that first underage girls’ team in Skibbereen. It was a pivotal moment in my life.

‘From there I went into Munster and things developed from there.

‘You think about those moments, the people who helped and guided you along the way, and I definitely wouldn’t have imagined this nearly ten years ago.’

Govender’s Skibbereen rugby chapter changed his life.

It was the first step in a coaching journey that saw progress from the underage girls’ teams in Skibb to help establish the club’s first senior women’s team.

He got involved with Munster Rugby, rising through the ranks there too to become the skills coach with the Munster senior women’s team in 2024. Govender was also assistant coach to a Munster U18 girls’ team that won an interprovincial title.

Next, he worked as an attack and backs coach with the Ireland U18 girls’ team before his next challenge took him overseas as head coach of Polish club RC Lechia Gdańsk. A year later, he was back on Irish soil, working as head rugby coach/rugby development officer for the Leinster Branch in TU Dublin. He was also head coach of the Railway Union women’s team.

Each role was a step forward, yet he will never forget the starting point.

Sana Govender is excited by his new role with Leinster.

‘I don’t think I’d be on this coaching journey, or even in rugby, if it wasn’t for Skibb,’ he says.

‘I was still playing at the time and coaching was never something I had planned to do. I was almost pushed into it, if I’m honest, and I found myself coaching without ever really deciding. Maybe that’s exactly what I needed because I probably would have talked myself out of it.

‘It gives me a great sense of satisfaction because there are moments in life that completely change your direction, and that was definitely one of them. Getting to work with Skibb, the club and the people there was something very special. 

‘For me personally, it gave me the platform and the confidence to keep pushing in my own coaching career.’

His coaching CV reflects someone who has never shirked a challenge. His new role with Leinster is another step-up, but his experiences on the way to this point mean he has arrived here as the best possible version of himself.

‘I was never the most ambitious person when I was younger – maybe it was just hidden somewhere. Even now, I’m not an all-or-nothing type of person. Whatever I’m doing, I’ll give everything to it, but I’m also aware that it’s only one part of who I am,’ Govender explains.

‘If I’m in something, I want to push myself as much as I can. I’m very grateful to be where I am and for the opportunities I’ve had, but it’s not just about me. It’s about the people you meet, the relationships you build and the people who help connect the dots along the way.

‘I wouldn’t have started coaching without Mags Coombes, and there have been plenty of other people who have helped me since. They’ve all acted as levers to guide me into different opportunities. 

‘Since getting into coaching, I’ve always been ambitious, but it’s been more about doing the best job I can where I am. 

‘Things have worked out the way they’ve worked out, whether that’s through hard work, the people I’ve met or a combination of both. I’m grateful for that, and I always try to leave every place in a better position than when I arrived.’

Govender points to his year coaching in Poland that pushed him outside his comfort zone, but was also just what he needed.

‘Probably one of the most challenging periods of my life, both from a people-management point of view and dealing with different cultures,’ he reflected.

‘It was a very difficult year with a very young team at one of the oldest clubs in the country. Being there on my own, both personally and professionally, pushed me to become a better coach and a better leader. 

‘There was a lot to take on, but it was an experience I really needed.’

His priority now is the Leinster women’s team that will be in action in the Vodafone Women's Interprovincial Championship that kicks off next month against his old team, Munster. It’s another step-up, head coach of a senior set-up like Leinster, working with international-class players. He’s loving it.

‘We’re always trying to raise our standards. I've been lucky enough to work with some amazing players, coaches and people, but you're constantly looking for the next version of yourself. I’m definitely not the finished product, and none of us are,’ he says.

‘Working with centrally contracted Irish internationals means they expect very high standards, and that means you have to expect the same of yourself. That’s exciting. At the same time, we’ve got younger pathway players coming through, so there’s a really broad spectrum of players to work with.

‘Managing that group is a challenge I’ve never really faced before, and that’s exactly what puts me outside my comfort zone. I haven’t worked in the pathway for a couple of years and it’s changed, so getting to learn from the coaches already working there is another exciting part of my own development. 

‘It’ll definitely keep us on our toes throughout the summer.’

Nine years on from coaching an underage girls’ team in Skibbereen, Govender is preparing to lead Leinster’s senior women. It's a rise he still traces back to West Cork.

That photograph hanging on his wall isn’t there by accident. Every time he sees it, he’s reminded where this journey began.