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Rennie's Bok link dismissed as 'speculation'

Cape Town - The Glasgow Warriors have dismissed Dave Rennie's link to the Springbok coaching job as "speculation". 

Rennie, the current coach of the Chiefs in Super Rugby, was on Sunday linked to the Bok job as current coach Allister Coetzee fights for his survival. 

Coetzee is set to stand before the Exco sub-committee on December 13 where he will need to explain what went wrong in 2016 when his side won just four of their 12 Tests. 

While Rennie is an attractive option - his experience and pedigree make him one of the most respected coaches in the world - his appointment is not without complication. 

In August this year, the 53-year-old put pen to paper on a two-year deal at the Glasgow Warriors in Scotland. 

He is set to start his role there at the end of the 2017 Super Rugby season. 

When asked to comment on the report linking Rennie to the Bok job, the Warriors' communications manager Jeremy Bone stood firm. 

"We do not comment on speculation," he said. 

Rennie is due to serve out the rest of his contract with the Chiefs, which runs until the end of next year's Super Rugby tournament, before joining the Warriors ahead of their 2017/18 season.

Of course, it wouldn't be the first time a coach has ditched his "new" club before even starting in the role. 

Stormers fans will be able to tell you their own little story of Eddie Jones, who was unveiled as their new Super Rugby coach in November 2015 only to drop Cape Town for London less than two weeks after addressing South African media and talking about his new role at Newlands.

It can happen, and if there is a release clause in a coach's contract that makes provisions for international opportunities then there is very little that clubs can do.

Unfortunately, we do not know the 'ins and outs' of Rennie's contract with the Warriors.

There is also another major stumbling block to Rennie being appointed, and that is in the form of his current contract. 

Rennie still has to serve out his final season of Super Rugby with the Chiefs, who would surely not be keen on letting him go midway through the season. 

If Rennie was to be named as the new Bok coach in the new year, then his first assignment would be the three Tests against France in June. 

That would obviously be during the international break that happens mid-Super Rugby, so how would that work for Rennie? Would he be serving a dual role for a few months as both Chiefs and Bok boss? It all becomes a little complicated. 

Even with all of the contractual uncertainty, the biggest question that remains is: How would SA Rugby be able to afford paying Coetzee out for three years of his existing contract and then hiring one of the best in the business? 

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