Following an incredibly fruitful tenure as the Springbok coach, Jacques Nienaber will be departing from the team.

Coach Nienaber will surely be a great asset to Leinster, where he will be working under Leo Cullen. His résumé includes two Rugby World Cup victories and one British & Irish Lions Tour victory. Rugby in South Africa and Ireland has a strong relationship already, and this move opens up even more possibilities.

Until a replacement for the position, Rassie Erasmus will assume the coaching duties. Needless to say, SARU has made it clear that they will take their time hiring a new employee.

After Jacques Nienaber, who will take over?

It will be difficult to live up to South African expectations following eight of the most prosperous years in Springbok rugby history. SARU will continue to use the proven winning formula.

Let’s examine the positions of four of the most likely possibilities in relation to the various criteria.

Felix Jones is now an honorary Saffa, but the perfect Springbok head coach would be a former player, ideally a forward, a defense coach, and a proud South African.

Let’s examine the positions of four of the most likely possibilities in relation to the various criteria.

Thomas Dobson

A strong contender for the Springbok spot, Dobson will undoubtedly be favored by the supporters having come just short of winning back-to-back URC titles. The recent achievements of Stormers rugby, both as a team and as a business, can be attributed to Dobson. The Cape Town-based Dobson’s team plays a thrilling style of running rugby. He is in charge of developing innovative and thrilling rugby, which has been successfully transferred to the Springbok arena by players like Damian Willemse and Manie Libbok.

By the time his contract with the Stomers expires in 2025, Dobson will probably stay on to continue developing the work he has already begun. Dobson would be eager to lead the Springboks in the future, though.

Johann Ackerman 

For quite some time, there have been demands for Ackerman to become the head coach of the Springboks.

Ackerman is an experienced coach and player who possesses all the qualities needed to lead the Springboks in the future. Over the past few years, he has been coaching in Japan and England, gaining invaluable experience, and he has led teams from the bottom to the top. Not to add, in 2016 he was the South Africa A team’s coach.

With his strong coaching background and familiarity with both South Africa and Springbok rugby, Ackerman possesses the necessary respect and perseverance to lead Springbok rugby into its next phase.

Theodore Vermeulen

A great candidate to take over as Springbok head coach would be Vermeulen, who is reportedly lining up a move to Stomers to fulfill a coaching role. Still, Vermeulen would need to have a few seasons under his belt before joining a URC squad.

Twice during the Rugby World Cup 2023, Vermuelen was spotted in the coaching box.

It would be nothing less than elite to have Vermeulen and Ackerman in charge of the coaching group. The one area that is lacking is backline experience, which Mzwandile Stick possesses.

Mzwandile Stick 

Since 2016, Stick has been a member of the Springbok team. It is anticipated that he will continue to play a part in Springbok rugby in the future. It is unclear if that role will be head coach, but if not, it will be taken into consideration down the road.

For Springbok rugby, Mzwandile Stick and Duane Vermeulen would be a fantastic combination. Together, the two have traveled a long way. Both coaches and players based in South Africa would find great inspiration from this coaching team.

Stick, who has coached the Springbok backline, may not have a particularly high attack strike percentage, but his defensive track record is unmatched.

The future looks bright for Springbok rugby

Stick became a member of the Springbok squad in 2016. It is expected that he will stay involved in Springbok rugby going forward. The position of head coach may or may not be filled, but it will be considered in the future.

Mzwandile Stick and Duane Vermeulen would be a great combination for Springbok rugby. The two have come a long way together. This coaching staff would be a great source of inspiration for South African-based coaches and players alike.

Although Stick’s attack strike percentage may not be particularly high, his track record on defense is unrivaled. Stick has coached the Springbok backline.