Former Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber has explained his decision to extend his contract with Leinster.

Nienaber recently signed a new deal that will keep him at the Irish powerhouse until June 2027. The World Cup in Australia starts on 1 October.

“It’s family first for me,” the 52-year-old told Rapport. “An away game here means you’re away on Friday and back home on Saturday night.”

That lifestyle stands in stark contrast to Test rugby, where he would often spend half the year away from home.

“If I was still with the Boks this year, I wouldn’t be sleeping in my own house for about six months,” Nienaber said.

“People say my kids are studying in Stellenbosch, but I actually see them as much as I did when I was with the Boks. The only difference is, when they come here, they’re with us.

“My son has to go have a beer with me, play golf with me, because his friends aren’t here. At home in the Cape, you don’t see them much because they’re out with friends.”

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Nienaber, his wife Elmarie, and their two children are enjoying life in Dublin, where family time includes regular games of tennis.

Professionally, he says the move has also helped him grow as a coach.

“I’m learning a lot at Leinster. At the Boks you coach 15 Tests a year, here I’ll coach around 32 matches. Every week is a new challenge – one week it’s the Stormers and John Dobson, the next it’s Ackers [Johan Ackermann] at the Bulls or John Plumtree at the Sharks, then Munster under Clayton McMillan.”

Nienaber says his defensive systems have developed significantly since he left South Africa.

“The defensive system I coached at the Boks in 2023 has grown so much with the plans I’ve made with it and the tactics I’ve changed with it. It’s a good thing for me as a coach and something I can apply elsewhere one day.”

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