LEINSTER HAVE ANNOUNCED that Springbok head coach Jacques Nienaber will join the club following the Rugby World Cup later this year.
Nienaber will step down from his position with the Springboks to replace current senior coach Stuart Lancaster, who is set to join Racing 92 in the summer.
Nienaber was assistant coach when South Africa won the 2019 World Cup under Rassie Erasmus, and stepped up to the head coach role in January 2020, with Erasmus now director of rugby.
The South African previously worked in Ireland as Munster defence coach in 2016, also with Erasmus. He has also held assistant coach roles with Western Province and the Stormers.
“We are delighted to confirm that Jacques Nienaber will be joining Leinster Rugby next season,” said Leinster head coach, Leo Cullen.
Jacques is a world class coach with a winning track record at the very highest level of the game, and we’re all looking forward to learning from him over the coming seasons.
“With the addition of the South African teams to the BKT URC 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.”
“The anticipation and excitement are building as we prepare to defend the Rugby World Cup title,” Nienaber added.
“It continues to be an amazing time with the Springboks and it’s a privilege to be involved in my third World Cup after 2011 and 2019. Being in a World Cup year my focus will be back on defending the title back-to-back.
“It is always hard to leave an institution that have 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 to Ireland to join up with Leinster Rugby.
“When the time is right, I will be looking forward to new and exciting challenges.
“The club is renowned as a quality and high performance environment and it’s an honour to join up with Leinster and I look forward to contributing to that after the World Cup.”
In a Springboks press release, Nienaber, 50, added that he was leaving the South Africa job for personal reasons.
“The last few years have been the highlight of my coaching career and it’s with a heavy heart that I’m finishing up my time with the Springboks and leaving the country for personal reasons,” Nienaber explained.
The decision is made and that’s 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.”
Commenting on the appointment, Leinster Rugby CEO, Shane Nolan said, “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, Robin, Seán and Emmet 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.”
Meanwhile, Rian Oberholzer, SA Rugby CEO, said that the union will now begin the search for Nienaber’s successor.
“Jacques was very open with us about the reasons for wanting to leave South Africa at the end of the season,” Oberholzer said.
“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 to the end of 2025 at the very least.”
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