Maties coach would be interested in Cheetahs job

Cape Town - Maties coach Hawies Fourie says he would like to coach at a higher level again in future.

Fourie made this revelation in an interview with Netwerk24 after his Maties side beat Tuks 34-12 in the Varsity Cup final in Stellenbosch on Monday night.

He was probed on whether he would be interested in returning to Bloemfontein to coach the Cheetahs.

This came after it was revealed over the weekend that current Cheetahs coach Franco Smith was offered the head coaching position of the Italian national side.

"I would really like to coach at a higher level again. It (the Cheetahs job) is something I would be interested in should the opportunity arise," Fourie said.

Fourie is no stranger to the Cheetahs, having been the team's backline coach under Naka Drotske between 2007 and 2013.

After that he became Griquas' head coach, before moving to Stellenbosch in late 2015.

He coached Maties to runner-up spots in the 2016 and 2017 Varsity Cup competitions before winning the title the following two years.

Fourie said it would be a big opportunity to coach the Cheetahs but noted that "it won’t be that easy" to get the job.

Before he joined the Cheetahs in 2007, Fourie coached Boland between 2002 and 2007 and was also backline coach at the Stormers in 2006.