RETIRING centre Wynand Olivier revealed he turned down an offer to stay at Worcester Warriors— but said: “I might be back sooner than you think”.

After deciding to hang up his boots at the end of this season Olivier said he was offered a job in the club’s commercial department.

Warriors’ bid to keep hold of Olivier was then dashed when he opted to take up a non-rugby-related business opportunity in South Africa.

But the 35-year-old, who made more than 50 appearances for Warriors, admitted he was open to returning to Sixways in the future.

Asked whether he would consider a move back to Worcester, Olivier said: “Definitely.

“I have made a lot of good friends and contacts here. If something comes up in the future I will definitely come back.

“We have enjoyed our four years here. The supporters and the community in Worcester have been fantastic with the way they have welcomed us into their lives so I just want to say thank you to everyone.”

Olivier said the arrival of his first child Ava last summer had altered his perspective on life and he wanted to be closer to his family.

“(Moving back to South Africa) will be easier for my family,” Olivier said.

“My grandparents aren’t getting any younger so it will be nice to have them in the little one’s life.

“A lot of thought went into this whole process before we made a decision.

“I must say the club have been pretty good.

“There was an option for me to stay at the club and be involved in the commercial side.

“Obviously it would have been nice to stay here so it was a tough decision to make.

“We have been away for quite some time and have just started a young family.

“We went back to South Africa in February and just seeing the impact friends and family have on the little one’s life makes a massive difference.

“Having that support system back home is unbelievable.

“I think it is time to go back now. It might not be forever.

“We might be back sooner than you think but we will see.

“No one knows what the future holds but it is exciting to think about it.”

Olivier said he had a “very good business opportunity” in his native country but refused to say what it involved.

“Firstly I’ll go back and see how everything works out before we go into (the details),” he said.

During his glittering professional career Olivier picked up 38 caps for South Africa, won the World Cup in 2007 and achieved Currie Cup and Super Rugby titles with the Bulls.

He also had a stint at Montpellier in the Top 14 before moving to England to join Warriors in October 2015.

Olivier played his final game on Saturday when he helped Worcester claim a last-gasp 31-29 victory over Saracens in a dramatic Gallagher Premiership finale at Sixways.

“To finish on a note like that was quite special,” said Olivier who played the full match after being drafted into the starting line-up due to an injury to Francois Venter.

“I said to Alan (Solomons, director of rugby) afterwards that playing 80 minutes was a great way for me to finish.

“In the middle of the game I thought to myself ‘Maybe I can do this for another couple of games’.

“But a whole season would be a little bit too much.

“I am quite happy with how everything finished so it is time to look towards the future with my family.”