Leinster senior coach Jacques Nienaber has hit back at the media, accusing them of pedalling 'misleading headlines' about comments on his Leinster future.
Prior to his arrival in Dublin, Nienaber had served as Rassie Erasmus' head coach, leading his native South Africa to back-to-back World Cup titles.
However, in what was a massive coup for Leinster, Leo Cullen added Jacques Nienaber to his coaching ticket ahead of the province's 24/25 season, an appointment that was met with wild conspiracy theories.
One of which outlined a plan for Nienaber to spend his two-year contract in Leinster advancing his knowledge of all things Irish rugby, before returning to South Africa, information in hand, for the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
So naturally, when Jacques Nienaber was asked about where his future lay, the South African coach was keen to stress his commitment to his current role, telling reporters that:
I must choose my words now nicely...International rugby isn’t as creative as club rugby, because you don’t work as long with them..The consequences (of international rugby) to your actions are a lot bigger than at club level. Where at club level, if you lose a game, it’s not written in history. If you lose a final, it’s written in history, but if you lose a match, it doesn’t matter what Test match, it’s written in history.
I do miss it (South Africa) in the one sense, but if you ask me, ‘Do you want to go back there now?’ No, I don’t want to go back there,”
I like the development that I’m currently, as a coach, experiencing and the stimulus that I’m getting currently at club level. That’s why I wanted to leave international [game] from a coach point of view. That’s why I wanted to leave international rugby. To just get exposure again at club level, because it’s different.
Jacques Nienaber clarifies future at Leinster
Despite Nienaber's emphasis being on his current enjoyment of club rugby, a narrative quickly emerged that suggested Nienaber had completely ruled out a return to the Springboks when his Leinster contract expires in 2026.
After his words were widely publicised on Wednesday morning, the former South African mastermind took to X to hit back at the 'misleading headlines' clarifying that he didn't intend to cast any aspersions on where the future might take him.
Hey guys - I was asked yesterday in media about life at Leinster and being a club coach day to day... but headlines can be misleading. It is absolutely the right time for me, my family and my coaching journey, and being tested daily, to be here now.
But that is not to dismiss what I did before now, what I loved to do before now or to dismiss what might come down the line. But for now, I am happy here at Leinster. My full quotes reflect that. Not the headlines!
But that is not to dismiss what I did before now, what I loved to do before now or to dismiss what might come down the line. But for now, I am happy here at Leinster. My full quotes reflect that. Not the headlines!
— Jacques Nienaber (@jacnienaber) October 22, 2024
Who'll have the in-demand mind of Jacques Nienaber on their books when the 2027 World Cup rolls around is yet to be seen, however, for the moment anyway, there could be little debate about where the South African's commitment lies.
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