But Woodward, who signed a new four-year contract with England before last year’s World Cup triumph and will coach the 2005 Lions in New Zealand, says he is going nowhere.

“I haven’t spoken in any shape or form to any official of the South African Rugby Union. There is absolutely no foundation to it,” said Woodward, after arriving in Rome for Sunday’s RBS 6 Nations Championship opener against Italy.

“I can’t control what goes out to the press, but it is completely without foundation. I always intended to renew my contract with the Rugby Football Union, and it has been renewed for four years.”

Woodward has often said in the past that if he wasn’t coaching England, then other international jobs would appeal to him.

But he today underlined his total commitment to England and the Rugby Football Union.

Woodward, after masterminding Britain's World Cup success, is one of planet rugby’s hottest properties. His new England deal though, doesn’t expire until after World Cup 2007,

The article, in the March edition of SA Rugby Magazine, claims that several South African Rugby Union Board members were made aware of Woodward’s alleged interest shortly after Springboks coach Rudolf Straeuli resigned post-World Cup.

But the magazine also say that the possibility of approaching Woodward was not even raised, and the matter went no further.