Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus has admitted that a big decision will need to be made on Siya Kolisi’s continued captaincy.
Siya Kolisi led the Springboks to back-to-back World Cup titles in 2023, with the flanker having served as the team’s captain ever since Rassie Erasmus took over as head coach in 2018.
The two have a long history together, dating back nearly a decade, with Erasmus having always insisted that Kolisi is the most inspirational and influential captain the Springboks could hope for.
Since the 2023 World Cup concluded, Kolisi has headed abroad to join French club Racing 92, and it has raised the question over whether the Springboks will be able to be led by an overseas-based captain.
BIG DECISION FOR RASSIE ERASMUS ON KOLISI’S SPRINGBOKS CAPTAINCY
Erasmus has now provided notable insight on the big call that will have to be made, revealing that a decision has yet to be made due to the fact the South African Rugby Union generally did not want to have a captain who plies his trade overseas.
It now remains to be seen if an exception will be made, but this is certainly an interesting set of circumstances that will need to be clarified before the start of the Test season.
The Springboks have a busy Test season ahead of them, with the first Test taking place in June.
CONFIRMED FIXTURES FOR 2024:
Saturday, 22 June: SA vs Wales (Twickenham, London)
Saturday, 6 July: SA vs Ireland (Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria)
Saturday, 13 July: SA vs Ireland (Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban)
Saturday, 20 July: SA vs Portugal (Toyota Stadium, Bloemfontein)
Saturday, 10 August: Australia vs SA (Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane)
Saturday, 17 August: Australia vs SA (Optus Stadium, Perth)
Saturday, 31 August: SA vs New Zealand (Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg)
Saturday, 7 September: SA v New Zealand (DHL Stadium, Cape Town)
Saturday, 21 September: Argentina v SA (venue TBC)
Saturday, 28 September: SA v Argentina (Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit)
16/17 November: England v SA (Twickenham, London – date TBC)
Good news :Springboks make another key coaching appointment
Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus has confirmed another notable appointment to the national management team.
As preparations for the 2024 Test season continue, Rassie Erasmus made an appearance at the first high-profile Springboks news conference in Cape Town on Tuesday. She provided some important updates.
The Springboks are clearly not going to rest on their laurels, as Erasmus has stated again: “If we continued to do things the same way, there was no way that we would be successful.”
“We have to change our approach again because teams will have observed how we play and how they believe they can stop us,” he said. “We require professional insight to ensure that we always stay within the law because the interpretation and application of the law are constantly changing.”
RASSIE ERASMUS CONFIRMS ADDITION TO SPRINGBOKS MANAGEMENT TEAM
What also shouldn’t be overlooked is the fact that there has been another new permanent addition to the Experts in coaching the Springboks.
Paddy Sullivan, a performance analyst who advised the team during the Rugby World Cup the previous year, has joined Erasmus.
For the past three seasons, Sullivan has worked as a performance analyst for Montpelier, a French Top 14 team.
Erasmus stated, “We’ve redesigned the management structure to put as much resource as we can into the technical side of the game and we’ve reviewed what it takes to be at the cutting edge of the game.”
“The players will receive the necessary off-field support going forward, but we wanted to make sure the right roles were filled to ensure that the main focus remains on the main goal.”
MANAGEMENT:
Rassie Erasmus: Head Coach
Charles Wessels: Team Manager
Mzwandile Stick: Assistant Coach
Daan Human: Assistant Coach
Deon Davids: Assistant Coach
Tony Brown: Assistant Coach
Jerry Flannery: Assistant Coach
Andy Edwards: Head of Athletic Performance
Sebastian Prim: Sport Scientist
Paddy Sullivan: Performance Analyst
Lindsay Weyer: Technical Analyst
Jaco Peyper: Laws and Discipline Advisor
Dr Jerome Lehlogonolo Mampane: Team Doctor
Dr Aneurin Robyn: Physiotherapist
Rene Naylor: Physiotherapist
JJ Fredericks: Logistics Manager
Zintsika Tashe: Operations Manager
Zeena Isaacs van Tonder: Media Manager
