Springbok head coach Heyneke Meyer has resigned from his job on Thursday.
Meyer communicated his desire to stand aside to SARU following a recent meeting with SARU president Mr Oregan Hoskins and CEO Jurie Roux.
The former Boks coach said he had decided to stand aside as coach, a decision he considers to be in the best interests of South African rugby, following recent developments.
"I have always put the Springboks first in my time as coach and since returning from England I have realised that as much as I believe I still have a lot to offer, the time has come for change," Meyer said on a statement.
The national rugby team has just lost two major sponsors with Absa and BMW pulling out.
In all, Meyer coached the team to 34 victories and two draws in 50 matches. During his tenure, the Springboks recorded a 66.7% winning record in Tests and scored 143 Test tries – second only to New Zealand in that time.
Several unions were believed to be unhappy with Meyer’s 66.7% winning ratio‚ which yielded no meaningful silverware in four years.