Nigel Owens says no to Rassie on joining Boks - report

Renowned refereeing guru Nigel Owens has reportedly turned down the Springboks' offer to join their management team for this year's Rugby World Cup.

SA Rugby's director of rugby, Rassie Erasmus, was eager to get Owens on board as a referee coach for the Boks at the showpiece event in France.

However, respected Welsh publication Wales Online is reporting that Owens has told Erasmus that he cannot commit to the role at this time.

Owens recently confirmed South Africa's interest and said there was "a lot for" for him to consider.

"All I know for sure right now is that it won't be an easy decision either way," he said last month.

Owens opting out will come as a blow to Erasmus, who just last week explained why he was eager to get the refereeing guru on board.

In an interview with the Daily Mail, Erasmus said the recent social media posts that got him into hot water prompted his interest in Owens helping the Boks.

"I don't want to talk myself into a hole again here," Erasmus said. "We basically felt we have to repair this because, obviously, there's not a great relationship (with referees and World Rugby). We want to reset that. It's a genuine need for us to change.

"If we get our way, we will have him (Owens) as soon as possible. We are very aligned in terms of the way World Rugby's going with safety, tackling, head contact. So it's the perception of whether or not something's okay when we send it to World Rugby. 

"Maybe Nigel could talk to them for us. And then there's his knowledge in reviews, previews, videos. We want someone to be a full-on management member. It would be great."

In the 2023 Test season, the Springboks will play two matches at home against Australia (Loftus Versfeld, 8 July) and Argentina (Ellis Park, 29 July)