Noel McNamara’s expected appointment as the successor to Leinster head coach Leo Cullen reportedly spells the end of Jacques Nienaber’s time with the Irish club.
According to a report in The Irish Times, McNamara, currently on the coaching staff at Bordeaux Bègles, will return to his former province ahead of the 2027-28 season once Cullen steps down at the end of the current campaign in 2027.
Bordeaux and Leinster appear to have agreed to his early release.
RASSIE: I don’t think they sleep well at night
For Nienaber, whose Leinster deal expires at season’s end, this points towards a reunion with Rassie Erasmus’ Springboks ahead of the 2027 World Cup, with a six-month break clause allowing an earlier exit.
He joined Leinster as senior coach in November 2023. The double World Cup winner helped tighten Leinster’s defence, win the 2024-25 and 2025-26 URC titles and reach the 2024 and 2026 Investec Champions Cup finals.
The report ends speculation linking Pumas head coach Felipe Contepomi with the Leinster job, as he has reportedly ruled himself out of a return to Dublin.
Photo: Steve Haag/Gallo Images
The post Nienaber being nudged back to Boks? appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Noel McNamara’s expected appointment as the successor to Leinster head coach Leo Cullen reportedly spells the end of Jacques Nienaber’s time with the Irish club.
The post Nienaber being nudged back to Boks? appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
