SA Rugby is reportedly on the verge of naming a new ‘head of rugby’ to replace Rassie Erasmus, following his return as the head coach of the Springboks.
Rassie Erasmus, the strategic mind behind the Springboks’ consecutive Rugby World Cup victories in 2019 and 2023, has secured a new agreement with SA Rugby that appoints him as the Bok head coach until 2027.
Erasmus, who took on the coaching role in 2019 and later became the director of rugby, will oversee a revamped coaching staff in the absence of Nienaber and Felix Jones, the former attack coach who has departed for England.
IT’S OFFICIAL: RASSIE ERASMUS WILL NO LONGER ACT AS THE SA DIRECTOR OF RUGBY
Rian Oberholzer, the CEO of SA Rugby, recently announced that the director of rugby position is on hold while SA Rugby restructures its rugby department to better serve the high performance and participation demands of the game.
As reported by the Sunday newspaper Rapport, SA Rugby plans to appoint a “head of rugby.” Louis Koen, a former Springbok flyhalf who has taken on many of Erasmus’ previous duties as director of rugby, is poised to fill this crucial position. Koen has been the head coach for the Springbok Women and is seen as the leading candidate for the role, having also served as SA Rugby’s high-performance manager.
BACK AT THE HELM OF THE BOKS
Erasmus, who is currently recovering from surgery after an accident, expressed his gratitude for the confidence SA Rugby’s leadership has shown in him to lead the national team once more. He is also excited about the new appointments.
“It is an immense honor to coach the Springboks, and I appreciate the trust placed in me,” Erasmus remarked. “The main distinction between the past four years and this season is that I’ll be more involved in on-field sessions.
“During my tenure as Director of Rugby, I continued to oversee the team’s structure and strategy along with Jacques and the other coaches, making the transition back to head coach straightforward.
“We’ve already conducted our first coaching session this week at the hospital, and it’s inspiring to see the coaches’ eagerness to kick off the season.”
