Ackermann weighing up the pros and cons of joining Gloucester

JOHANNESBURG: Johan Ackermann has confirmed he is considering an offer from Gloucester in England to join their coaching team.

“I have been offered an opportunity to go there and am in the process of looking into the pros and cons,” he said yesterday. “I’ll make a decision sooner rather than later, when the time is right. It’s something I’m looking at, but I do not want to disrupt the team right now, and to leave them in two minds.”

Gloucester want Ackermann to replace former Brumbies coach Laurie Fisher who left by mutual consent last week. Golden Lions Rugby Union chief executive Rudolf Straeuli said yesterday that they were aware of the approach by Gloucester.

“When you’re successful, as our coaches and players have been in recent times, there will be approaches from clubs and teams from all over the world,” said Straeuli. “We know about Johan’s situation and will discuss it at the right time. He, however, has a contract until the end of 2018, and right now he’s happy where he is, and so are we happy, with him.”

It’s also understood that several Lions players who became Springboks last year are on the shopping lists of some of Europe’s biggest clubs.

“It’s a constant thing ... players being linked to other teams. We’ll always try and keep our players, as we’ve done in the last few years here at the Lions, Straeuli said. “We’ve been able to keep some of our best players by them being allowed to sign dual deals with Japanese clubs.”

Most of the current group of Super Rugby stars, like Ackermann, are signed up until the end of next season.

It is believed none of the Lions players who wore the green and gold last year and have been deemed to be the future of Bok rugby have been offered a national contract. Yet, SA Rugby are believed to be trying to lure a few overseas-based players back to South Africa and offering them a Bok contract. This, it is said, may drive a number of younger players to consider deals abroad.

Some of the Lions players who Straeuli and the union have managed to keep on their books by allowing them to also play in Japan are Elton Jantjies, Franco Mostert, Lionel Mapoe, Jaco Kriel and Warren Whiteley