Jacques Nienaber was the South Africa's head when they won the Rugby World Cup in 2023. He would depart the national side to take a post in Ireland for the side, Leinster. Recent coaching changes have seen him possibly returning to South Africa.
Leinster have confirmed that Bordeaux-Begles assistant Noel McNamara will succeed Leo Cullen as head coach after the end of the current season.
The appointment means Nienaber, who joined Leinster as senior coach in 2023 after leaving the Springboks following their second successive World Cup triumph, would work under McNamara when the coaching transition takes place.
McNamara emerged as Leinster’s preferred candidate; beating several higher-profile options – among them, former World Cup-winning Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber, who has been working at Leinster as a senior coach under Cullen for the last three years.
Argentina boss Felipe Contepomi also fell out of the race due to his 2027 World Cup commitments, while ex-All Blacks boss Scott Robertson was said to have been another contender.
McNamara, who guided Ireland to the U20 Six Nations Grand Slam in 2019; also spent two years with the Hollywoodbets Sharks in Durban, where he developed a strong working relationship with Yannick Bru. That connection paved the way for his move to Bordeaux-Bègles, who have since claimed back-to-back Champions Cup titles.
McNamara is credited with making Bordeaux a more potent attacking force, with the club now chasing a third consecutive Champions Cup crown. He will remain in France until the end of the season before taking up his new role at Leinster on 1 July 2027.
La Rochelle top dog Ronan O’Gara was also linked with the role, although the Corkman’s appointment in South Dublin always looked like a stretch.
Leinster CEO, Shane Nolan, said: "We are delighted to welcome Noel McNamara as the new head coach in 2027. Noel has a long association with the club and emerged as our preferred candidate very early in the process. His transition into the role will be seamless, and we look forward to welcoming him here next July after this season reaches its conclusion."
McNamara described the Leinster head coach role as one of the most prestigious in world rugby.
"I’m delighted that I am returning to Leinster as head coach in 2027," he said. "This is one of the most prestigious roles in world rugby and it is an honour to be given this responsibility."
"I’m very grateful to UBB and in particular Laurent Marti and Yannick Bru for supporting me in availing of this opportunity. We have a very exciting season ahead with UBB, and I am fully focused on that before moving back to Leinster next summer."
The Clare native will be returning to Leinster having previously worked with the club in several roles, including Academy Manager and Leinster ‘A’ Head Coach during a 5-year spell between 2016 and 2021.
When Bru was appointed by Bordeaux in 2023, McNamara was among the key figures he recruited as part of a coaching team tasked with turning the Top 14 side into genuine contenders.
The move has proved an inspired one. Bordeaux finished as runners-up in the Top 14 during his first two seasons at the club before finally breaking through on the European stage in 2025 with a Investec Champions Cup victory over Northampton Saints.
The French side captured back-to-back Investec Champions Cup titles after hammering Leinster this May, establishing themselves as one of the dominant forces in northern hemisphere rugby and further enhancing McNamara’s reputation as one of the game’s brightest attacking coaches.
The former Leinster academy manager had been linked with a return to Ireland earlier this year following the vacancy in Munster’s coaching staff after Roger Randle withdrew from an agreement to join the province.
Instead, McNamara opted to commit his future to Bordeaux. That decision now appears set to be short-lived.The news heavily implies that Jacques Nienaber’s rumoured return to South Africa ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia could be in the cards. Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus has already welcomed Felix Jones after his stint with Steve Borthwick’s England.
Nienaber’s current Leinster contract expires at the end of the campaign. However, a six-month break clause would allow him to potentially return to SA early, even potentially before the end of Leinster’s current campaign.
The 53-year-old has helped Leinster win back-to-back URC titles and reach two Investec Champions Cup finals.
I suppose I would welcome him back. The thing is, though, is that it's clear that we're not struggling without him. We have been very successful. There is a chance of some form of cross-contamination. With that, that might interfere with the philosophy that the Springboks have been embedded with.
Proof of this is that Nienaber tried to introduce South African tactics into the Irish side. There was a massive backlash in Ireland as a result.
He should join a side that he can enter with a clean state.