THE Waratahs may not know who their next head coach is for another month, but they remain hopeful the new regime will include one of their most important senior players - Test second-rower and forwards' leader Dan Vickerman.

Although Vickerman has indicated he wants to leave Australia at the end of the season to play club rugby in Europe and study at Cambridge University, the chairman of the NSW Rugby Union, Arvid Petersen, said the Waratahs had not given up on retaining him for 2009.

"The reason why I hold hope is that Dan has not signed in the UK yet," Petersen said last night. "Given a player of his stature, we would be foolish in Australia to give up on him. We are all trying to convince him to stay."

Earlier this season, Vickerman declined an Australian Rugby Union offer, but, working behind the scenes, Waratahs administrators have attempted to convince him to remain in Sydney.

It is understood that if Vickerman shows any interest in staying, the ARU will not hesitate in re-opening negotiations.

Petersen said the Waratahs were equally eager to retain two of Vickerman's forward-pack colleagues - hooker Adam Freier and back-rower Rocky Elsom - who have both indicated they may also move elsewhere. Petersen said negotiations with Vickerman, Elsom and Freier centred on the ARU.

"We're hopeful that the retention of Dan, Rocky and Adam can be done in party with the Wallabies," Petersen said. "With those three players, it would be fair to say that the ARU carries a larger coat, in the form of Wallaby top-ups. Unfortunately, that has moved a bit slowly for some of these guys. And I think the ARU has to move a bit quicker with those guys."

When asked if Vickerman had originally been undervalued [by the ARU], Petersen replied: "I think that is a fair comment."

Petersen, who will travel today to Cape Town for the Waratahs' match against the Stormers on Sunday morning (Sydney time), revealed that the original plan to announce coach Ewen McKenzie's replacement next week would be delayed until possibly June.

A NSW Rugby Union board meeting, set down for next Monday, at which Waratahs chief executive Jim L'Estrange was to provide his recommendation, has been adjourned until May 26.

Petersen said it was imperative the NSWRU was not rushed into making a coaching decision.

"The NSW coaching post is arguably the most important in this country, behind the Wallabies job," Petersen said. "And we want to ensure that we get the right person for this job, and can build a coaching team around the right person.

"Over the next two or three weeks we want to put all our attention behind supporting Ewen and the team towards their Super 14 semi-final campaign. We don't want to continually deflect against the number-one priority, which is assisting the team in their goal to win the Super 14.

"The last thing the team right now needs is to keep reading about coaching speculation."

When asked if former Wallabies assistant coach Scott Johnson, who recently agreed to coach the United States for the next four years, was a candidate, Petersen said: "That's still to be determined. He's got an agreement with Rugby USA, and it is no secret he is somebody who is very much in the final group."

Test fullback Chris Latham, meanwhile, returns for the Reds this weekend following a lengthy absence with a knee injury.

¡ Teenage winger Afusipa Taumoepeau will make his Super 14 starting debut for the Brumbies, against the Bulls in Pretoria on Saturday morning (AEST), reports AAP.