Johan Ackermann has expressed his desire to coach in South Africa again, after stints abroad in England and Japan.
Ackermann has been coaching Japan Division Two club Urayasu D-Rocks since last year, taking the team to the top of the standings with nine wins in 10 games in the 2023-24 season.
The former Springbok lock spent three seasons in England with Gloucester before moving to Japan.
In an interview with Sunday newspaper Rapport, Ackermann said he would like to return to South Africa, if the right opportunity presents itself.
“My contract only ends in a year, but I have an option to move at the end of the current season if there is another opportunity that I would prefer,” Ackermann told Rapport.
“It would be nice to be in South Africa again, but of course that’s if there’s an opportunity, and also everything that goes with it.”
Ackermann last coached in South Africa in 2017. He took charge of the Lions in 2013, famously helping the team bounce back from Super Rugby relegation to become the country’s leading club, making successive finals in 2016 and 2017.
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