Nienaber coy on next move

Former Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber has refused to shed light on his future with Leinster, admitting that his next move remains up in the air.

Nienaber joined Leinster after the Boks’ 2023 World Cup triumph and is heading into his fourth season as the Irish province’s senior coach. However, his future has come under the spotlight with head coach Leo Cullen set to step down at the end of the 2026-27 season and Nienaber reportedly among those linked with the position.

There has also been speculation that Nienaber could return to the Springboks, with a six-month break clause understood to be part of his Leinster contract.

Asked whether the 2026-27 season could be his last in Dublin, Nienaber joked about the possibility before stressing that no decision has been made.

“You want me to go? You want me gone? I can use that six-month thing …” he told the Roadshow Series with Off the Ball.

Nienaber then offered little clarity on what comes next, saying the relevant parties still need to reach an agreement.

‘An ongoing process’

“No, it’s an ongoing process, like everybody would say. We will have to wait and see how things work out, and when everybody is aligned, all the stakeholders are happy and aligned, then they’ll probably announce whatever is going to happen going forward.

“When I came over here [to Dublin], it was [because] I wanted to spend more time with my family. With the Springboks you are on average between 150 and 170 nights not in your bed [a year] because they don’t have a home base, so they travel a lot. With Leinster, we are probably 50 days not in our own beds. You do a lot of travelling but you are home a lot, so that was nice.”

Nienaber remains firmly focused on his work with Leinster, who begin their URC title defence against the Lions at Ellis Park on 26 September before travelling to Durban to face the Sharks on 3 October.

**This story was first published on sarugbymag.co.za. It is republished here with permission. **