Rassie back as head coach as Boks announce new coaching team
February 7, 2024
The Springboks have announced the make-up of their coaching team following the departure of Jacques Nienaber, who left after the World Cup.
As was widely expected Rassie Erasmus returns as head coach. Also added to the mix are former All Blacks flyhalf Tony Brown and ex-Ireland international Jerry Flannery. Former assistant coaches Mzwandile Stick, Deon Davids and Daan Human all remain as part of the team.
Making the announcement SA Rugby president Mark Alexander said: “We are delighted to announce that Rassie Erasmus will take over the reins as the Springbok head coach once again following his success with the team since 2018, and we believe that with the continuity in the coaching structures and the exciting additions, we are in good hands in the ultimate objective of claiming a hat-trick of World Cup titles.
“Tony Brown and Jerry Flannery are both former international players and bring fantastic coaching experience, and their skills will complement Mzwandile Stick, Deon Davids, and Daan Human.
“It is also a huge coup to have a world class referee in Jaco Peyper as a member of the management team and to retain his expertise in South African Rugby, as understanding the referees and their analysis of the laws is critical to any team’s success.
“We are excited about this Springbok coaching team, and we’ll be thrilled to see how the double World Champions perform once they return to the field for the first time since lifting the Webb Ellis Cup in France last year.”
Alexander also confirmed that former Springbok eighth man, Duane Vermeulen was coming on board as a roving coach with a mandate to work with national teams at all levels. “Duane has tremendous experience as a player and will take that IP into the coaching teams of our other national teams to give them an insight into what it takes to be a champion team.
“It also allows us to extend our own coaching base from within the ranks of the Springboks with an eye to the future,” he said.
Meanwhile, Erasmus shed some light on how he saw his role going forward. “It is a massive honour to coach the Springboks, and I am grateful for the trust placed in me.
“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, and it’s great to see the enthusiasm among the coaches to get the season underway,” he said.
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Rassie back as head coach as Boks announce new coaching team
The Springboks have announced the make-up of their coaching team following the departure of Jacques Nienaber, who left after the World Cup.
As was widely expected Rassie Erasmus returns as head coach. Also added to the mix are former All Blacks flyhalf Tony Brown and ex-Ireland international Jerry Flannery. Former assistant coaches Mzwandile Stick, Deon Davids and Daan Human all remain as part of the team.
Making the announcement SA Rugby president Mark Alexander said: “We are delighted to announce that Rassie Erasmus will take over the reins as the Springbok head coach once again following his success with the team since 2018, and we believe that with the continuity in the coaching structures and the exciting additions, we are in good hands in the ultimate objective of claiming a hat-trick of World Cup titles.
“Tony Brown and Jerry Flannery are both former international players and bring fantastic coaching experience, and their skills will complement Mzwandile Stick, Deon Davids, and Daan Human.
“It is also a huge coup to have a world class referee in Jaco Peyper as a member of the management team and to retain his expertise in South African Rugby, as understanding the referees and their analysis of the laws is critical to any team’s success.
“We are excited about this Springbok coaching team, and we’ll be thrilled to see how the double World Champions perform once they return to the field for the first time since lifting the Webb Ellis Cup in France last year.”
Alexander also confirmed that former Springbok eighth man, Duane Vermeulen was coming on board as a roving coach with a mandate to work with national teams at all levels. “Duane has tremendous experience as a player and will take that IP into the coaching teams of our other national teams to give them an insight into what it takes to be a champion team.
“It also allows us to extend our own coaching base from within the ranks of the Springboks with an eye to the future,” he said.
Meanwhile, Erasmus shed some light on how he saw his role going forward. “It is a massive honour to coach the Springboks, and I am grateful for the trust placed in me.
“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, and it’s great to see the enthusiasm among the coaches to get the season underway,” he said.