Former Springbok coach Jake White is eyeing a return to the international stage.
White, who guided the Boks to 2007 World Cup glory, has been without a full-time role since leaving the Vodacom Bulls in July last year and is eager to get back into coaching – at Test level.
“I was 40 when I coached South Africa, and before I turned 44, I’d won the World Cup and finished coaching them,” he told Rugby365. “I haven’t been involved in Test rugby since then.
“So when you ask if I want to get back, I still feel I have unfinished business at that level.”
White likened his situation to cutting short the international career of a rising star.
“It’s like taking Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu out of Test rugby now and telling him he’ll never play again after he’s shown he can compete at that level,” he said.
“I’ve coached South Africa, I know how it operates, and I know it’s the benchmark. South Africa are probably the team that will have to be beaten to win the World Cup.
“You’d think that kind of experience would be valuable in coaching.”
POLL: How many Tests will Boks win in 2026?
White, who will turn 63 in December, believes his decades of experience should count in his favour.
“Why is it that younger coaches are in front?” he said. “In my time, serving your apprenticeship and gaining experience was seen as a positive.
“Now you see coaches coming through in their 30s or early 40s and jumping ahead of those who’ve spent years building up that knowledge.”
Photo: Shaun Roy/Sportsfile via Getty Images
The post Jake: I have unfinished business appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
