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Sevens coach Paul Treu.

WHILE Paul Treu didn’t completely rule out the possibility of becoming the Springbok assistant coach, the Bok Sevens mentor says that his “focus is really on the Sevens”.

Bulls Director of Rugby Heyneke Meyer looks set to be unveiled as the new Springbok coach on Friday afternoon, but it is unclear whether his management team will also be named.

Treu and Bulls backline coach Pieter Rossouw were mooted to be in the running for the Bok assistant job, with Rassie Erasmus set to be the technical director and Jacques Nienaber the defence coach.

But on Tuesday in Stellenbosch, at the announcement of the Bok Sevens squad for the next two IRB tournaments, the 39-year-old Treu said that the SA Rugby Union have not spoken to him about a post in the Bok set-up. “I think it is really an honour if there are people who think I can make a contribution to Springbok rugby. But my focus is really on the Sevens, this journey,” he said.

“We’ve worked so hard to get to this point, it is where I want to be and it is my passion. If I can make a contribution to South African rugby, I will always try my best. But at the moment, this is where my focus is and where I want to be.”

The “journey” Treu speaks of is the one all the way to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, where rugby will return in the Sevens format for the first time since 1924. He has been involved with the Bok Sevens team as a player since 2000 and as head coach since 2004, and guided the side to a World Series triumph in 2009.

When asked if he would consider a Bok role if it were offered to him, Treu said: “I can’t comment on something that isn’t possible and which hasn’t been discussed with me. It is speculation and people’s opinions. My focus can only be here. The Sevens is why Saru appointed me.

“This is what I started with the guys, and it is a commitment and journey that I would want to honour. All I can say is that there isn’t anything I would rather do than what I am doing now. It would be heartbreaking for me to walk away from this team. We are a family here.”

SPRINGBOK SEVENS SQUAD

Chris Dry, Chase Minnaar, Frankie Horne, Boom Prinsloo, Cornal Hendricks, Kyle Brown (capt), Branco du Preez, Bernardo Botha, Paul Delport, Cecil Afrika, Steven Hunt, Mark Richards, Stephan Dippenaar, Renfred Dazel. – Cape Times