Coetzee stays mum on Bok job

Cape Town - Allister Coetzee insists he has not yet put pen to paper to become the next Springbok coach.

Coetzee is believed be to the favourite to succeed Heyneke Meyer, but according to the HeraldLIVE website, it's not yet a done deal despite increasing rumours suggesting he may have already agreed to terms.

“Definitely not,” Coetzee said when asked if he had signed. “I’m in Cape Town on holiday and having a great time. A lot has been said in the media and I would not like to tell anything that is not close to the truth.”

Coetzee currently coaches the Kobe Steel Kobelco Steelers in Japan.

Last Friday, the South African Rugby Union (SARU) confirmed on that it hoped to announce the identity of the new Bok coach following the Annual General Meeting at the start of next month.

SARU president Oregan Hoskins confirmed that a preferred candidate had been identified and that the recommendation would now be considered by the General Council.

“The High Performance committee examined a list of potential coaches and identified their preferred candidate against a set of pre-determined criteria,” said Hoskins.

“In broad terms we were looking for someone with a proven track record at an elite level; someone who would embrace the objectives of our Strategic Transformation Plan and someone who would understand the public demands of the job and what that entails. 

“The Executive Council accepted the High Performance committee’s recommendation some time ago and the preferred candidate’s name will now be set before the General Council.”

Rassie Erasmus, currently SARU’s general manager of high performance, was earlier reported to be another candidate considered for the position.