Former Springbok boss Allister Coetzee has been confirmed as Japanese rugby side the Canon Eagles' new head coach.
Coetzee's appointment has become something of an open secret since he was removed from his post at the helm of the Boks earlier this year.
Coetzee previously coached the Kobe Steelers in Japan in 2015, before joining the Springboks on a four-year contract.
However, Coetzee was prematurely removed from his position after the Boks managed just 11 wins from 25 Tests while slumping to a number of historic defeats.
Before leaving his position, Coetzee made allegations against SA Rugby suggesting they had set him up to fail and were threatening to make him unemployable.
Yet, Coetzee has now received a professional "lifeline" in Japan and said he was looking forward to joining the Eagles ahead of the 2018-19 season.
"It is a very exciting feeling to return to Japan. During my last job here, I was able to enjoy Japanese culture,” said Coetzee.
"It is a great honour to be a member of the Canon Eagles with the vision of becoming one of the top teams in Japan's top league.
"I would like to add my own new values to the advanced and professional environment that Canon Eagles has. I am looking forward to the challenging new goals with everyone in the team." – African News Agency (ANA),
