Tigers stalking Muir?

Sharks coach Dick Muir has confirmed that he has had various coaching offers from European clubs, including English giants Leicester Tigers.

Sharks coach Dick Muir has confirmed that he has had various coaching offers from European clubs, including English giants Leicester Tigers.

But with the Super 14 semi-final race hotting up, Muir is in no mood to entertain these offers or discuss his ongoing negotiations with SA Rugby (Pty) Ltd – the commercial arm of SARU – regarding the assistant coaching position with the Springboks because of his 100 per cent commitment to the Sharks.

The hunt for a new coach comes after current Leicester coach Marcelo Loffreda's disappointing first season at Welford Road – with the Tigers needing to beat Harlequins at Welford Road this coming Saturday (May 10), to secure a spot in next season's Heineken Cup competition.

Having lost (25-28) to the lowly Newcastle Falcons at the weekend, it heightened speculation that Loffreda's tenure at Leicester would come to an end after just one season.

The Argentinean failed to reproduce the magic that saw him guide the Pumas to third place in the World Cup last year (a first-ever semi-final) and also a top three place on the International Rugby Board (IRB) rankings.

“It is an honour to be approached by a famous club so rich in history and success, but nothing should be read into it,” said Muir.

“It is that time of year when European clubs are putting out feelers as they do their forward planning.

“At present I am not interested in anything but the Sharks and the semi-finals.”

With South Africa's first Test (against Wales) only a month away, paperwork has been blamed for the extraordinary delay in finalising the Springbok coaching team.

The announcement of the assistant coaches has taken so long that Leicester are reported to have enquired about Muir's services in an attempt to poach him before his contract as the Springbok backline coach is finalised with SA Rugby.

It is an open secret that Muir and Stormers assistant coach Gary Gold have been appointed as national rugby coach Peter de Villiers' assistants.

However, SA Rugby has delayed the official announcement for the past two months. The body has also not yet found a national team manager.

Should Muir opt for a move overseas, it is believed former South Africa winger and 1995 World Cup-winner Chester Williams could be next in line to take charge of the Springbok backline.