Former Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber, who is now a senior coach at Leinster.

• Former Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber said his move to Leinster was informed by a need to spend more time with his family.
• Nienaber’s exit from the Boks was confirmed in April and he was able to win the World Cup with the Springboks at the end of October.
• Nienaber was with the Springboks for a third time before this departure.
• For more, please visit News24 Sports’ home page.

Former Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber said his move to Irish super club Leinster was informed by the need to spend more time with his family.

Nienaber’s move to Leinster as a senior coach as a replacement for Stuart Lancaster, who is now at Racing 92, was confirmed in April.

He then went ahead and won the Rugby World Cup with the Springboks at the end of October, went on the trophy tour with the team, and spent time in South Africa before leaving for the Irish capital.

Nienaber, who was in this third and longest stint with the Boks from 2018 to 2023 after working with them in 2011 and 2016, said he needed a new challenge and that’s what Leinster provided.

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“I just felt I had lost a lot of time with my family. That’s why the decision was made in January/February,” Nienaber said.

“My wife said: ‘Listen, I don’t think we can do another four years of this.’ The kids said: ‘Dad, we need you at home,’ and that’s why, when the opportunity came up again with Leinster [I took it].

“I was nervous because I didn’t want to lose that cutting-edge being challenged. I didn’t want to lose that because I feel that makes you a good coach.”

That’s why this job for me was a perfect fit, I’m going to be challenged as a coach tremendously. There’s going to be big expectations, but at least I have some family time as well.”

Nienaber’s exit from the Springboks was unexpected, but far from dramatic as compared to what was going to transpire at the World Cup, with the death threats that were levelled at scrumhalf Cobus Reinach, along with Bongi Mbonambi/Tom Curry alleged ‘white c***’ slur furore that threatened to derail SA’s Rugby World Cup final preparation.

Nienaber was loath to talk about his departure to Leinster throughout the World Cup and showed no emotion when asked about his impending exit.

He said his departure wasn’t an issue with his now former employer SA Rugby and he rejected offers from other international teams.

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“They were happy with it,” Neinaber said.

“They gave me their blessing, and then, when the opportunity came up, we announced it as quickly as possible because it was never for me [that} I didn’t want to work in South Africa anymore.

“There were other offers from other internationals. It wasn’t for me to change, or to move, or to come north.

“It wasn’t anything like that. It was just that I needed to get away from international rugby. That was the reason.”