Springboks shock as Jacques Nienaber agrees on a return to Ireland

Springboks head coach Jacques Nienaber will step down at the end of the upcoming Rugby World Cup to make a club return to Ireland, the country where he previously worked as a defence coach at Munster. With Stuart Lancaster set to depart his senior coach role at Leinster to become director of rugby at Racing 92, Leo Cullen has decided to bring Nienaber in as successor to the ex-England boss.

The 50-year-old Nienaber has served several roles within the South African rugby structures, which include as a Springbok assistant coach at the 2011 and 2019 Rugby World Cups before stepping into the head coaching role in 2020.

A statement read: “Springboks coach Jacques Nienaber will finish his run as the national coach at the conclusion of the team’s Rugby World Cup campaign in France before taking up a position in Leinster’s coaching ranks in Ireland next year.

“Nienaber cited personal reasons for the decision, but said his focus remained on the major task of the year, which was to give everything in the Springboks’ defence of their Rugby World Cup title.”

Nienaber said: “The last few years have been the highlight of my coaching career and it is with a heavy heart that I’m finishing up my time with the Springboks and leaving the country for personal reasons. The decision is made and that is firmly behind me now.

“My sole focus is on seeing the Springboks defend the Rugby World Cup title this year. I will continue to channel all my energy into ensuring that we leave no stone unturned to achieve that.”

SA CEO Rian Oberholzer added: “Jacques was very open with us about the reasons for wanting to leave South Africa at the end of the season. We will confirm a successor in the title role of Springbok coach in due course – that planning will go on in the background, but Rassie Erasmus’ services are locked in until the end of 2025 at the very least.”

SA Rugby president Mark Alexander added: “Jacques has been a great servant of South African rugby at provincial and national level for two decades but now is not the time for thank you. The 2023 season remains the priority for Jacques and the rest of the coaching staff and knowing him, as I do, he will be working round the clock to deliver success for the Springboks.”

The Springboks kick off their season against Australia in Pretoria on July 8 in the opening round of the shortened Castle Lager Rugby Championship, and they later face Ireland and Scotland in their Rugby World Cup pool.

Leinster boss Cullen said in a separate statement: “Jacques is a world-class coach with a winning track record at the very highest level of the game, and we are all looking forward to learning from him over the coming seasons.

“With the addition of the South African teams to the BKT United Rugby Championship and the Heineken Champions Cup, Jacques’ in-depth knowledge and experience of working with the Springboks will be a great addition to the group.

“We are all really excited to welcome Jacques and his family to Leinster after the Rugby World Cup and I’m sure all Leinster fans will give him a warm welcome when he arrives.”

New Leinster CEO Shane Nolan added: “Since my arrival, Leo’s contract extension and then Stuart’s replacement have been key priorities and it’s great to now get Jacques’ signature across the line.

“He brings incredible experience and pedigree to the role. He knows the Irish system well, as he does the URC and its demands. And obviously, his in-depth knowledge of South African rugby is incredibly valuable as we see both the URC and the Champions Cup competitions evolve year-on-year with the introduction of the South African clubs.

“Having someone of Jacques’ calibre on board to join Leo, Andrew (Goodman), Robin (McBryde), Sean (O’Brien) and Emmet (Farrell) is huge for the club as we look to our next stage of evolution and we look forward to welcoming Jacques and his family to Dublin in due course.”

Nienaber said: “It is always hard to leave an institution [the Springboks] that has provided you with so much honour, joy and fulfilment but the only constant in life is change. At the end of the World Cup, myself and my family will leave for Ireland to join Leinster.

“When the time is right, I will be looking forward to new and exciting challenges. The club is renowned for its quality and high-performance environment. It is an honour to join up with Leinster and I look forward to contributing to that after the World Cup.”