Defence coach Jaque Fourie could reportedly opt out of his new deal with the Lions for an offer from a Japanese club.
According to Sunday newspaper Rapport, Fourie is the subject of strong interest from the Japan, where the 2007 World Cup-winning Springbok played club rugby between 2011 and 2017.
This, despite the 39-year-old having recently put pen to paper on a two-year extension with the Lions – his initial contract ending in October.
News of Fourie’s extension followed questions over head coach Ivan van Rooyen’s future, and preceded an IOL report that a recent survey of the squad returned a disappointing appraisal of the Lions coaching and management team.
Fourie, along with fellow assistant coach Albert van den Berg, received a passing grade of “between seven and eight out of 10”, while Van Rooyen scored a rating “between three and four”.
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