Rassie Erasmus hailed as the Springboks’ ‘greatest coach’ on eve of record-breaking achievement
Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus.
Rassie Erasmus will enter uncharted territory against Scotland in Pretoria on Saturday when he sends out his Springboks team for a record-breaking 55th time as head coach.
Erasmus, who has reached the total in two stints (from 2018 to 2019 and 2024 to the present day), will surpass the previous record of 54 Tests established by 2007 Rugby World Cup-winning coach Jake White from 2004 to 2007.
South African Rugby Union (SARU) president Mark Alexander was full of praise for Erasmus and hailed him for the impact he has made since taking over the Springboks‘ coaching reins.
“Rassie understood his mandate from day one and implemented a strategy that truly transformed the way we play, the way we use our diversity as our strength and the way we drive social cohesion by using rugby as a vehicle,” he said.
“He galvanised all South Africans behind our team.”
Also shone as a player for the Springboks
Erasmus, who represented South Africa as a loose forward in 36 Tests between 1997 and 2001 during his playing career, also held the title of SA Rugby’s director of rugby from 2020 to 2023.
Despite that position, the 53-year-old was always intimately involved in the Boks’ preparation with head coach Jacques Nienaber.
Saturday’s Nations Championship encounter against Scotland at Loftus Versfeld marks the 94th Springbok match played under his guidance since his return to SARU’s coaching set-up in 2018.
“There aren’t any superlatives left to describe the impact Rassie has had not only on Springbok rugby but on the sport and the country over the past eight years,” added Alexander.
“He has not only transformed the team’s results, he has transformed the country’s attitude to rugby. He has turned Springbok matches into an environment where South Africans from every demographic, whether it be sex, age, race, or language can come together to celebrate their South African-ness together.”
Erasmus’s contribution has been recognised at the highest level with the conferring of the Order of Ikhamanga in Gold, one of South Africa’s highest civic honours, for exceptional performance in sport.
“Rassie Erasmus’s legacy is measured not only in victories but in the unity, hope and pride he has instilled in South Africans,” explained Alexander.
“His work stands as a testament to the power of rugby to transcend boundaries and bring our nation together.”
Impressive Springboks win ratio
Under Erasmus’ guidance, the Springboks have achieved a win ratio of 75,93% during his 54 matches in charge of the team – 13,5% better than the Springboks’ historical winning record (62,5%) when he assumed control.
In the past two seasons since resuming the head coaching role (and including last Saturday’s match against England in Johannesburg) the winning average has risen ever higher to 85,7% with only four defeats in 28 matches.
SA Rugby chief executive Rian Oberholzer praised Erasmus’ achievements and said the Springboks have not seen a coach of his ilk yet.
“There is no doubt that Rassie is the greatest coach to ever lead the Springboks and he will rank highly in conversations about the greatest coach to ever take charge of a national team from any country,” he revealed.
“His clarity of vision, his attention to detail, and the ability to bring disparate people and systems into alignment is extraordinary. The Springboks were ranked sixth in the world and had suffered a series of record defeats when he took on job of head coach.
“With largely the same playing personnel he has masterminded the winning of two Rugby World Cups and established the team at the very pinnacle of the sport.”
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Erasmus downplayed his latest achievement and said he is fully focused on Saturday’s eagerly anticipated clash with Scotland.
“When players reach milestones we don’t talk about it in the build-up to matches and the same applies this week,” he said.
“It’s a nice thing to know but the most important and only thing this week is performing against a very dangerous Scotland team.”
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