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Rassie Erasmus

Rugby coach and former player

By South African Index Editorial Desk · Published

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Illustrative placeholder; no verified photograph available.: Domdomegg · Source · CC0 1.0. Resized and converted to WebP for this site.

Rassie Erasmus is the head coach of the Springboks and a former South African international rugby player. He led South Africa to the 2019 Rugby World Cup title, later served as director of rugby during the 2023 title-winning campaign, and returned as head coach. In 2026 he received the Order of Ikhamanga in Gold. [1][5][6]

Biography

SA Rugby’s 2018 annual report records that Erasmus, a former Springbok flank and provincial coach, returned to South Africa after a stint with Munster and was appointed Springbok coach in April 2018 while also serving as Director of Rugby. The report notes that he had received the 2017 Guinness Coach of the Year award during his time in Ireland. [1]

Under Erasmus as head coach, South Africa won the 2019 Rugby Championship and the 2019 Rugby World Cup. SA Rugby’s 2019 annual report describes the World Cup campaign as being led by Erasmus and his management team. In 2023 he was Director of Rugby while Jacques Nienaber was head coach; the Springboks won a second consecutive World Cup. [2][3]

Erasmus returned to the head-coach role after the 2023 World Cup. In July 2026 SA Rugby reported that he was set to coach his 55th Springbok Test, then a record for a South African national-team head coach. The Springboks’ current team page lists him as coach. [4][5]

In May 2026 The Presidency named Erasmus as a recipient of the Order of Ikhamanga in Gold, citing his leadership in national and international rugby and the Springboks’ repeated Rugby World Cup success. [6]

Key contributions

Led the Springboks as head coach during their 2019 Rugby World Cup victory and later resumed the head-coach role after serving as Director of Rugby during the 2023 campaign. [2][3][5]

Received the Order of Ikhamanga in Gold in 2026 for his contribution to South African rugby. [6]

Career timeline

  1. Appointed Springbok head coach while serving as SA Rugby Director of Rugby. [1]

  2. Led South Africa to the Rugby Championship and Rugby World Cup titles. [2]

  3. Served as Director of Rugby during South Africa’s successful Rugby World Cup campaign. [3]

  4. Received the Order of Ikhamanga in Gold and became the Springboks’ record holder for Tests as head coach. [6][4]

Controversies and proceedings

In November 2021 an independent World Rugby misconduct committee found six charges against Erasmus proved in relation to his conduct towards match officials during the British & Irish Lions series. The committee imposed a two-month suspension from all rugby activities and a longer suspension from match-day activities, along with a warning and an apology requirement. [7]

Sources

  1. South African Rugby Union, South African Rugby Union Annual Report 2018. Original source. Accessed 2026-09-24. ↩
  2. South African Rugby Union, South African Rugby Union Annual Report 2019. Original source. Accessed 2026-09-24. ↩
  3. South African Rugby Union, Springbok Media Guide: Rugby World Cup 2023 semi-finals. Original source. Accessed 2026-09-24. ↩
  4. South African Rugby Union, Erasmus becomes record-breaking Springbok coach, 2026-07-09. Original source. Accessed 2026-09-24. ↩
  5. South African Rugby Union, The Springboks. Original source. Accessed 2026-09-24. ↩
  6. The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa, The Presidency announces recipients of National Orders, 2026-05-14. Original source. Accessed 2026-09-24. ↩
  7. World Rugby, Independent misconduct hearing update: Rassie Erasmus and SA Rugby, 2021-11-17. Original source. Accessed 2026-09-24. ↩