Venter to stand down as Saracens director of rugby

LONDON (AP) — Brendan Venter will stand down as Saracens director of rugby at the start of next year and return to his native South Africa for family reasons, the Premiership club said Tuesday.

However, Saracens have named the former Springboks center as its technical director, a newly created position that will involve him flying back to Britain on a regular basis.

Mark McCall, an ex-Ireland international who is currently the club's first-team coach, will replace Venter as director of rugby, taking over on Jan. 9.

"Brendan will remain an integral part of the club ... making frequent visits to north London," Saracens chairman Nigel Wray said in a statement.

Venter, …