Leinster rocked as senior coach Jacques Nienaber linked with shock return to South Africa
The news comes despite him still having a year left to run on his current contract with the
Advertisement
2
Leinster senior coach Jacques Nienaber has been linked with a move away from the province, according to a report
2
The South African has been vital in implementing Leinster blitz defence - and is contracted to the URC champions for anothe year
The 2023
The Dublin-based province lost in the
Now, speculation has emerged that Nienaber could return to South Africa.
Advertisement
read more on rugby
A report from
White left his position following the
Nienaber is said to be on a four-man shortlist that includes Johann van Graan, Franco Smith and Johan Ackermann.
And in a further worry to Leinster, according to the Rapport report - they have already made contact with the Northern Cape native.
Advertisement
Most read in Rugby Union
Any move would likely require a buyout, as Nienaber remains under contract with Leinster and the IRFU until spring 2026.
The Leinster senior coach has previously denied any chance of him leaving the province whilst under contract with the four-time European Cup winners.
Craig Casey shares hilarious 'fear' weighing on him before captaining Ireland for first time vs Georgia
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The 42
8 hours ago
- The 42
5 Irish players set for regular Premier League football and 7 on the periphery
5 players likely to get substantial game time Caoimhín Kelleher Kelleher joined Brentford from Liverpool in the summer for €14 million, potentially rising to €21 million in add-ons. The 26-year-old looks set to be finally given a chance as a regular number one, having spent years at the Reds as arguably the Premier League's most reliable back-up stopper. The Cork native already has 25 Premier League appearances under his belt and featured 67 times in all competitions for the Anfield outfit, so he's not short of top-level experience. It'll be interesting to see how he fares with a team that doesn't invariably dominate the ball and concede minimal chances, although he has some experience of that too with Ireland. Nathan Collins Since joining Brentford for a club-record €26.6 million in the summer of 2023, Collins has swiftly developed into a key player for the Bees. The 24-year-old's importance has been highlighted by the fact that new manager Keith Andrews has appointed his fellow Irishman as club captain. Collins was the only outfielder to play every single minute of Premier League action last season, and such reliability has drawn interest from elsewhere, with Tottenham and Liverpool among the clubs rumoured to be admirers of the Leixlip native. Josh Cullen Another Irish international who is the captain of his club. The 29-year-old featured in 44 of Burnley's 46 appearances as they were promoted from the Championship as runners-up last season. And Cullen featured in 25 of 38 matches as the Clarets were relegated from the Premier League the season before last. And the 42-times capped Ireland player is expected to play a prominent role again. The Lancashire-based outfit will be among the favourites for the drop again, but Cullen now has over 100 appearances to his name at Burnley alone, and that level of experience will be invaluable in their bid to avoid relegation. Jake O'Brien Having looked surplus to requirements in the first half of last season after moving to Everton from Lyon in a €20 million deal, O'Brien became a regular after David Moyes replaced Sean Dyche as manager. The 24-year-old made 20 top-flight appearances in total, scoring two goals, and the majority of those came at right-back. The Toffees have been linked with a player who specialises in that position, Kellen Fisher, but O'Brien is expected to get plenty of game time regardless, potentially in his favoured position at centre-half. Advertisement Matt Doherty Another Irish player who benefited from a change in manager last season. Doherty ended up making 30 Premier League appearances last season, but it was only when Vítor Pereira replaced Gary O'Neil as coach that he became a regular starter. The Dubliner will be 34 in January, but, after difficult spells at Tottenham and Atletico Madrid, he has looked increasingly rejuvenated since returning to Wolves. Key to his resurgence has been a positional switch — Doherty now mainly operates as a right-sided centre-back and is no longer required to exhibit the immense physicality required to be a Premier League wing-back. He has made 60 top-flight appearances overall in his last two seasons at Wolves, compared to 44 in three campaigns at Spurs, and he can expect plenty of game time again this season as he is a player Pereira trusts. 7 on the periphery Alan Browne of Sunderland lifts the EFL Championship Play Off trophy. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Alan Browne Much like with the Irish national team, Browne appears to be considered a squad player rather than a guaranteed starter for Sunderland. The midfielder made 22 Championship appearances for the Black Cats last season, 13 of which were starts. The 30-year-old was unlucky because he suffered a leg fracture that meant he missed a substantial portion of the 2024-25 season and was playing catch-up by the time he returned to full fitness. So he could conceivably play a role in the upcoming campaign if he avoids further injuries. But while Jobe Bellingham's €37 million departure to Borussia Dortmund frees up one place, the arrival of four midfielders – Enzo Le Fée (€22 million), Habib Diarra (€35 million), Noah Sadiki (€20 million), and Granit Xhaka (€20 million) — suggests it won't be any easier for Browne to get in the team and a move away may be required. Nathan Fraser One of the young players who has tended to go under the radar, the 20-year-old Ireland underage international made seven Premier League appearances for Wolves in the 2023-24 campaign, though it was amidst an injury crisis at the club. He has yet to score in the top flight, but he did find the net in both the FA Cup and League Cup last season. However, the fact that he started just once in the league suggested he had some way to go before establishing himself as a regular and the theory was backed up last season, when he failed to make a single appearance for the club and had a disappointing loan spell with Belgian side Zulte Waregem that was brought to a halt after five appearances. According to The Athletic, a substantial part of the last campaign saw Fraser work on a programme 'designed to improve his physicality'. The youngster has a contract at Wolves until 2028, though he still appears to be well down the pecking order and is expected to make another loan move this season. Seamus Coleman A hugely respected figure at Everton, but despite a total of 428 games for the Toffees and a one-year contract extension awarded to him last June, it seems the 36-year-old's days as a regular starter are over. Coleman made five Premier League appearances last season, only three of which were starts and the most recent led to his withdrawal in the 18th minute due to injury. He made a total of 12 appearances the previous season, and the odds are against the Donegal native getting into double figures this term. But his influence around the club as long-time captain is ostensibly the reason why he has been kept on, and it would be no surprise to see the Toffees legend graduate to a coaching role eventually. Mark Travers Another Irish Evertonian, Travers joined the club from Bournemouth for €4.6 million in the summer. However, the Maynooth native is not expected to displace Jordan Pickford as first-choice and will likely have to settle for a role as back-up goalkeeper. The 26-year-old had a similar status for most of his time in the first team at the Cherries (he spent nine years there in total), making four Premier League appearances last season in addition to 18 on loan at Middlesbrough in the second half of the campaign. Alex Murphy Since joining from Galway United in 2022, the 21-year-old has made two Premier League substitute appearances for Newcastle in the 2023-24 campaign. The defender also played 13 times on loan in the second half of last season at Bolton, as they finished a few points off the League One play-off places in eighth. Murphy is not expected to break into Newcastle's star-studded team this campaign, so another loan move might be his best option, though the fact that he signed a new long-term contract with the Magpies last year suggests the club rate him highly. Andrew Moran One of Ireland's most promising youngsters, Moran has already made one Premier League appearance for Brighton, coming off the bench in the January 2023 win over Everton. In the last two seasons, the midfielder has made 70 Championship appearances in respective loan spells at Blackburn and Stoke City. This form has seen him rewarded at international level, with Moran winning three Ireland caps — one under Stephen Kenny and two since Heimir Hallgrímsson took charge. It is still a big ask for the 21-year-old to break into a Brighton side with considerable depth, so he may be on the move again before the transfer window closes at the end of the month. Michael Obafemi Memorably contributed a goal and assist in Ireland's 3-0 June 2022 Nations League win over Scotland, but it's fair to say that it hasn't worked out as hoped for player and country alike since then. The striker has 12 caps in total, but has only featured once since 2023, largely owing to injury and form-related issues at club level. The 25-year-old did appear twice in Burnley's 2023-24 Premier League campaign, but has not worn the club's colours in almost two years, while he has not made a single league start for the team since joining from Swansea in January 2023. In the last two seasons, he has had relatively underwhelming loan spells in the Championship with Millwall and Plymouth, scoring four goals in 43 appearances. Another exit — either temporary or permanent — is expected, with a move to the Turkish side, Kasimpasa, already falling through during the summer.
The Irish Sun
10 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Meet the Premier League's newest WAGs after their star partners transfers including nurse, lawyer & make-up expert
Together, the new Premier League WAGs boast almost a million social media followers CHEER COME THE GIRLS Meet the Premier League's newest WAGs after their star partners transfers including nurse, lawyer & make-up expert THEY are smart, sexy and sure to bring a stadium-worth of sass to the sidelines. Premier League Wags have always added a welcome touch of glamour to the game when you spot them cheering in the boxes. 16 Dani Meneses, model and real estate pro, could help new Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike settle in – the pair are rumoured to be dating Credit: Instagram/danimeneses._ 16 Liverpool's £69million signing Hugo has arrived from Eintracht Frankfurt Credit: Getty But this season's new intake have upped the ante – and include a lawyer, nurse, estate agent, make-up expert and multi-lingual clever-clogs with almost a million social media followers between them. Here Veronica Lorraine shares the new first ladies of footie. The estate agent NOW Liverpool new boy Hugo Ekitike, pictured above, has arrived in the UK from German side Eintracht Frankfurt, thanks to a £69million deal, stunning Dani Meneses. pictured above, top, could be key to helping him find a suitable pad. The beauty, rumoured to be dating the French striker, has a background in global real estate management. International media claimed the couple were an item when Dani was pictured with Ekitike, 23, in Morocco earlier this summer. Miami-based Dani describes herself as a 'devoted professional with her finger on the pulse'. She is also a model with her Instagram account filled with bikini shots from her globe-trotting adventures. The lawyer 16 Yadid Alejandra Aguilar, human rights lawyer and social media star, supports new Wolves' Jhon Arias while sharing life — and their cocker spaniel Doky — on Instagram Credit: instagram/alej_ayala 16 Wolves have signed Colombian winger Jhon from Brazilian side Fluminense Credit: Getty NEW Wolves signing Jhon Arias might be a menace on the pitch but off it, he is a total softie. The Colombian winger, 27, who arrived from Brazilian side Fluminense, is regularly spotted sharing loved-up snaps with stunning girlfriend Yadid Alejandra Aguilar. And Yadid is no ordinary WAG, she is a qualified human rights lawyer and a rising social media star with over 40,000 Instagram followers. Cristiano Ronaldo's Wag Georgina Rodriguez reveals they are FINALLY engaged as she shows off enormous ring She also runs an Instagram account for the couple's cocker spaniel Doky. Following Arias' move to the West Midlands, Yadid, 25, shared an emotional goodbye to Brazil. She wrote: 'Thank you for welcoming my husband and accepting him as an idol . . . we carry the club forever in our history.' The Love Island sibling 16 Anita Vidovic, TikTok influencer and model, will be cheering on boyfriend Benjamin Sesko as he joins Manchester United Credit: Instagram @benjaminsesko 16 Manchester United have signed Slovenian striker Benjamin from RB Leipzig Credit: Getty MANCHESTER United have signed Slovenian star Benjamin Sesko, 22, – and he has a very glamorous supporter cheering him on. The towering striker, who has moved from German club RB Leipzig, is dating Slovenian beauty Anita Vidovic, 27. The TikTok influencer and model has become a regular fixture in the stands since they started dating in 2022, often seen proudly sporting her man's jersey. The couple frequently share adorable snippets of their life online, including cosy date nights, holiday getaways, and behind-the-scenes glimpses of their relationship. But Anita is not the only one in the spotlight – her brother Boris Vidovic, 28, joined in the most recent series of Love Island as a Casa Amor bombshell. But former footballer Boris's time in the villa was cut short when he was subbed out with partner Emma. The maternity nurse 16 Marina Gourgis, maternity nurse and wife of Tijjani Reijnders, focuses on family life with their one-year-old son Xavien Credit: Instagram/mariinareijnders 16 Manchester City midfielder Tijjani signed from AC Milan for £46.5million Credit: Getty TIJJANI REIJNDERS is not just a midfield powerhouse for Manchester City, he is a devoted family man too and tied the knot with maternity nurse Marina Gourgis in June 2022. She says: 'We started talking through Instagram. When we finally agreed to meet, I immediately thought, 'Oh, he's really nice,' and things moved very quickly from there.' Now she and the 27-year-old Dutchman are parents to one-year-old Xavien. Marina said: 'I have my own ambitions but motherhood is now truly my focus. We moved abroad for Tijjani's career, which was already a big change. 'We have a balance that works for us. Right now, we focus on his career, and afterwards it will be my turn to pursue my goals. The time I get to spend with my son now feels like a special gift, and I'm extremely grateful for it.' And this season she will be focusing on life in Manchester, after Tijjani signed a transfer fee deal worth £46.5million from AC Milan. The TikTok Queen 16 Aaliyah Mohamed, model and TikTok fashion star with over 120,000 followers, is coming to support Florian Wirtz at Liverpool Credit: Getty 16 Liverpool have signed German midfield sensation Florian from Bayer Leverkusen Credit: Getty LIVERPOOL smashed their transfer record to sign Germany's footballing sensation Florian Wirtz, 22, and he is arriving on Mersyside with more than just talent in tow. Joining the midfield maestro is his girlfriend Aaliyah Mohamed, a model and TikTok fashion queen who's racked up more than 120,000 followers online. The glamorous couple first turned heads last year when Aaliyah was spotted pitch-side at Bayer Leverkusen celebrating the club's historic unbeaten season under Xabi Alonso. The 21-year-old regularly posts viral fashion clips to TikTok. Florian and Aaliyah, who are believed to have started dating in 2022, have seemed inseparable since, with Aaliyah often seen at games even when Florian has been sidelined by injury. But it is not all glitz and glamour. The pair are also keen home cooks, with a quirky culinary ritual. Every Saturday, it is boiled potatoes with warm beetroot and horseradish on the menu. The returning Wag 16 Leonita Lekaj is married to Granit Xhaka and joins him in Sunderland Credit: Instagram/leonita.x 16 Granit returns to the Premier League with newly promoted Sunderland from Bayer Leverkusen Credit: Alamy EX-ARSENAL midfielder Granit Xhaka is back in the Premier League – and so is one of footie's most glam Wags. The Swiss hardman, 32, made a shock return with newly promoted Sunderland after leaving German club Bayer Leverkusen. Also moving to Wearside is his stunning wife Leonita Lekaj, 32, who he married in a lavish ceremony in 2017. During their north London days, the couple were spotted out and about in Camden Town, enjoying low-key date nights. Leonita, a mum of two, posted on Instagram after her hubby signed for the Black Cats: 'I'm so proud of you! I'll always have your back'. The make-up star 16 Tamira Blankson, TikTok beauty star with 35,000 followers, supports Liverpool's Jeremie Frimpong both on and off the pitch Credit: Instagram @tamirablankson 16 Liverpool's new star Jeremie, joined from Bayer Leverkusen for £29.5million Credit: Getty IF Jeremie Frimpong performs for Liverpool as well as he does for girlfriend Tamira Blankson, it will be money well spent. The 24-year-old Dutchman, signed for £29.5million from Bayer Leverkusen, set up a romantic Valentine's Day treat for Tamira that left her with her 'jaw on the floor'. He put on an incredible candlelit dinner for his girlfriend of one year with roses, balloons and gifts with the words 'I love you' written on them. And Tamira showed her supportive side by joining her man, who is also of Ghanaian descent, on the Leverkusen pitch at the end of last season. Away from football she has carved out a following of her own, with more than 1.2million likes, thanks to her polished make-up tutorials to her 35,000 TikTok followers. The beauty queen 16 Indira Ampiot, former Miss France and Miss Guadeloupe, is dating new Spurs striker Mathys Tel Credit: Getty 16 Spurs have signed 20-year-old French striker Mathys from Bayern Munich on a permanent deal Credit: Getty SPURS signing Mathys Tel has bagged more than goals, he has scored himself a beauty queen who has represented two countries. The 20-year-old French striker signed a permanent deal from Bayern Munich this summer, and may be joined by girlfriend Indira Ampiot. Indira, 20, was first named Miss Guadeloupe. But a year later, she was crowned Miss France. Last November, Indira represented France at Miss Universe 2024, finishing in the top 30 in the pageant that included a record 125 countries. Indira, who also has a degree in communications, frequently shares glimpses of her jet-setting lifestyle to her 418,000 Instagram followers, including on the red carpet at Cannes. Now the model is set to light up north London, with the couple reportedly house-hunting near Spurs' training ground as Tel settles after being on loan.
Irish Daily Mirror
13 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Cork coach Kevin Walsh's intentions becoming clear as John Cleary looks to 2026
Kevin Walsh is set to continue coaching the Cork footballers for another season. The former Galway and Sligo boss has worked under manager John Cleary for the past three seasons and all indications are that he will stay in the role for the 2026 campaign, reports. Cleary completed a three-year term with this year's All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final defeat to Dublin having initially taken on the role on a caretaker basis during the 2022 season after incumbent Keith Ricken took ill. He was handed a fresh two-year term last week despite the team failing to kick on having exited at the preliminary quarter-final stage for the second successive season after reaching the last eight in 2023. However, there were some signs of encouragement, particularly in the Munster semi-final against Kerry, which the eventual champions went on to win after extra time, while Cork were in the ascendancy for much of that preliminary quarter-final against Dublin before slipping to a three-point defeat. The acquisition of Walsh was seen as something of a coup for Cleary given how he had progressed Sligo and particularly his native Galway during his spells in as manager in both counties, though the length of the commute has raised questions as to how sustainable it would be for the two-time All-Ireland winning midfielder, whose services would be in demand closer to home. However, it appears as though the management team is remaining largely intact as Cork gear up for another season in Division Two next year. Along with Walsh, Cleary also had Micheál Ó Cróinín, James Loughrey, Barry Corkery and Jim O'Donoghue on the ticket. Meanwhile, there is still no firm indication around whether hurling manager Pat Ryan will continue in the job after the devastating All-Ireland final loss to Tipperary. The 16-point defeat last month officially brought his three-year term to a close though it is believed that there is an appetite among the county board executive to grant him another season if he wants it. This year Ryan guided Cork to their first League title since 1998 and bridged a seven-year gap to their last Munster title, but the season has been largely coloured by their spectacular second half collapse in the All-Ireland final, and whether the Sarsfields man is prepared to soldier on in the wake of that disappointment remains to be seen.
