Rassie Erasmus Head Coach Of SA Springbok Just Announced His Departure

In an interview with local media on Sunday, Rassie Erasmus said that he will be the South Africa head coach going forward, taking over from the role he had when the team won the Rugby World Cup in 2019.

Although Jacques Nienaber led the Springboks to their second consecutive World Cup victory this year, he had previously declared in April that he would be moving to a new position with the Irish team Leinster following the competition in France.

Steve Borthwick’s England team will welcome Felix Jones as an assistant coach.

Four years ago, after winning the World Cup as a coach, Erasmus assumed leadership of South Africa’s rugby department. But his impact was never distant from the team as the Springboks won a record-tying fourth World Cup, beating New Zealand 12-11 in the championship match last month.

Erasmus has reportedly indicated that he will assume Nienaber’s responsibilities with the intention of aiming for an unprecedented third consecutive World Cup victory in 2027, according to the South African publication Rapport.

Though he has occasionally courted controversy, Erasmus is respected in South Africa for his inventiveness, tactical sense, and capacity to extract the greatest performance from the players at his disposal.

He received a lengthy match-day ban from World Rugby for his video criticism of Australian referee Nic Berry following the British & Irish Lions’ defeat in the first test of the 2021 series.

Erasmus has also drawn criticism for his criticism of opponents in social media posts.

Jacques Nienaber [R] is leaving to take a position with Leinster, and Rassie Erasmus [R] will once again lead the Springboks. Adam Pretty – World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images

His capacity to inspire the Springboks both on and off the field when it counts most is, however, undeniable.

Former assistant coach Matt Proudfoot told Sport24, “Where Rassie is very good is looking at the cause of the problem and saying, ‘this is what we need to fix’.”

“That process is what drives him; he never stops searching for that edge. Rassie have a special ability to identify the essential element that will ultimately determine the outcome.”

Andy Edwards, the head of athletic performance, together with assistant coaches Mzwandile Stick and Deon Davids and scrum coach Daan Human, are anticipated to stay in their positions.