SOUTH AFRICA: Springboks coach Jake White quits after winning the 2007 Rugby World Cup

South Africa's Rugby World Cup winning coach Jake White will stand down as coach when his contract expires at the end of the year. Jake White blamed a poor relationship with South Africa's rugby administrators after announcing on Wednesday (October 31) that he will stand down as coach of the world champions when his contract expires at the end of the year. White, 43, told a news conference that his final games in charge will be the one-off test against Wales on Nov. 24 and a match against the Barbarians at Twickenham on Dec. 1. White's four-year tenurewhen his contract expires on Dec. 31. The South African Rugby Union announced on Monday that a shortlist of four had been drawn up to succeed White and he had been excluded because he had not re-applied for his job. "I'm just very disappointed by the way that they've gone about making a shortlist and said that I wasn't, and didn't, apply for the shortlist. Nothing in my contract says I have to apply, I mean I haven't even been reviewed yet," said White. "There's a process underway to get a new coach and as I said, I wish him all the best because he's probably going to need it," he added. White, who guided the Springboks to their second World Cup triumph with a 15-6 victory over England in Paris earlier this month, has fought a long-running battle with the union over team selection. In November last year he was recalled in the middle of a European tour to face a vote of no confidence and has often described the Springbok job as the toughest in rugby. White has been linked with the coaching roles of England, Australia and Wales but said had not applied for any other jobs.

ITN Source | November 1, 2007

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