Jacques Nienaber exit no crisis, says SA Rugby

SA Rugby President Mark Alexander has moved to quell fears after the bombshell revelation over the weekend that Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber will be stepping aside.

Citing personal reasons for the decision, the Bok coach revealed he will be taking up a position in Leinster's coaching ranks in Ireland next year - but stressed his focus remained squarely on giving everything in the Springboks' defence of their Rugby World Cup title in France in September.

The news has led to immediate speculation as to a possible replacement for Nienaber, but Alexander stressed the situation was not a crisis and that there are plans in place to deal with such an eventuality.

"It's no crisis because it's not like we are now forced to hire somebody tomorrow. There is no rush," Alexander told Media24.

"We've got succession planning that has been in place for a long time. We must look at that succession plan and all the other things we need to do.

"Some coaches have come a long way with us and have walked the walk with us. People always criticise South African Rugby for not planning, but we are planning.

"We have systems in place, and we know where we're going. The trouble is that everybody wants to know who [is next]."

The Springboks have a busy international season ahead, starting with the Rugby Championship before a couple more warm-up games will take them into the World Cup, where they are the defending champions.

Thankfully, the current Springbok coaching setup will remain unchanged for the entirety of 2023, giving SA Rugby bosses sufficient time to do their due diligence and identify the best possible replacement for Nienaber going forward.