New Bok coach: SA Rugby to heed advice from Rassie, overseas coach not an option - report

SA Rugby will take advice from its director of rugby, Rassie Erasmus, when deciding on the new Springbok head coach.

This comes after current incumbent Jacques Nienaber announced he would vacate his role after this year's Rugby World Cup in France. Nienaber will join Irish heavyweights Leinster.

"We will be led by the director of rugby (Erasmus). Thanks to succession planning, Jacques was appointed from within [SA Rugby's] structures. We believe this is the correct way to go forward," SA Rugby's acting CEO Rian Oberholzer told Rapport newspaper when probed on the new Bok coaching position.

Oberholzer added that the final say on the appointment lies with SA Rugby's executive council and also emphasised that getting an overseas coach "is not part of the thought process".

This means current Bok assistant coaches Deon Davids and Mzwandile Stick could be in the inside lane for the job. According to Rapport, Junior Springboks coach Bafana Nhleko is a possible wild card pick.

Nienaber replaced Erasmus as head coach after the 2019 World Cup success. Prior to his elevation as head coach, Nienaber served as Bok defence coach under Erasmus.

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Oberholzer added that the governing body was in no rush to appoint a new Bok mentor as the next coach "wouldn't have to make a Bok team talk in the changeroom for the next 15 months".

There is of course also the possibility that Erasmus himself could again step in as head coach, but it appears as though his future plans are unclear.

Erasmus is contracted to SA Rugby until 2025, but he has a clause in his contract that allows an earlier departure.

In the 2023 Test season, the Springboks will play two