Rassie Erasmus during a Springbok training session. Photo by AFP
SA Rugby line up key appointment after Rassie role change
SA Rugby are reportedly set to appoint a ‘head of rugby’ replacement for Rassie Erasmus now that he is back as Springbok head coach.
Rassie Erasmus during a Springbok training session. Photo by AFP
Rassie Erasmus – the mastermind behind the Springboks’ back-to-back Rugby World Cup titles of 2019 and 2023 – has been locked in by SA Rugby on a new deal that will see him serve as Bok head coach through to 2027.
BREAKING: Rassie back as Springbok head coach to 2027!
Erasmus, who coached the team in 2019 and was director of rugby four years later, will lead a new-look coaching team in the absence of Nienaber and attack coach Felix Jones, who has left to join England.
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Confirmed that Rassie Erasmus will no longer serve as SA director of rugby
Rian Oberholzer, CEO of SA Rugby, recently said that the role of director of rugby had been ‘mothballed’ pending a restructuring of the rugby department of SA Rugby to meet the evolving high performance and participation needs of the sport.
According to Sunday newspaper Rapport, SA Rugby will appoint a “head of rugby”, with former Springbok flyhalf Louis Koen set to take on many of Erasmus’ former responsibilities as director of rugby.
Koen has currently been serving as the head coach of the Springbok Women, and is reportedly the frontrunner for this key new role, having previously worked as SA Rugby’s high-performance manager.
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Back in the Bok top job
Erasmus, who is still recuperating from medical procedures after a freak accident, said he was thankful for the trust placed in him by SA Rugby’s leadership to steer the national team once again, and he was equally thrilled about the new appointments.
“It is a massive honour to coach the Springboks, and I am grateful for the trust placed in me,” said Erasmus. “The main difference between the last four years and this season is that I will be more hands-on at the field sessions.
“In my role as Director of Rugby in the last four years I continued to oversee the team structures and strategy in conjunction with Jacques and the other coaches, so it should be an easy transition back into the head coach role.
“We already had our first coaching session this week at the hospital, and it’s great to see the enthusiasm among the coaches to get the season underway.”
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