Rassie Erasmus will oversee a record 55th Springbok Test as head coach against Scotland at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
Erasmus has reached the total in two spells (2018-2019 and 2024-2026) to surpass the previous record of 54 Tests held by 2007 World Cup winning coach Jake White (2004-2007).
Erasmus was also director of rugby during Jacques Nienaber’s 39-Test stint as head coach, taking the tally of Bok Tests played under his guidance to 93.
The Boks have achieved a win rate of 75.93% in Erasmus’ 54 matches in charge – 13.5% better than the Springboks’ historical winning record (62.5%) when he assumed control.
In the 93 Tests under his guidance since 2018, the Boks have a 73.11% win rate.
In the past two seasons since resuming the head coach title (and including Saturday’s match against England) the winning average has risen ever higher to 85.7% with only four defeats in 28 matches.
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“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 galvanised all South Africans behind our team,” said SA Rugby president Mark Alexander.
“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.
“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.”
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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. Few awards have ever been more richly deserved.
“Rassie Erasmus’s legacy is measured not only in victories but in the unity, hope and pride he has instilled in South Africans,” said Alexander. “His work stands as a testament to the power of rugby to transcend boundaries and bring our nation together.”
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SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer said: “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.
“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.”
Erasmus said: “When players reach milestones we don’t talk about it in the build-up to matches and the same applies this week. It’s a nice thing to know but the most important and only thing this week is performing against a very dangerous Scotland team.”
Top five Springbok coaches by number of Tests
Rassie Erasmus: Played 54, Won 41, Drew 1, Lost 12, Win rate: 75.93%
Jake White: Played 54, Won 36, Drew 1, Lost 17, Win rate: 66.67%
Heyneke Meyer: Played 48, Won 32, Drew 2, Lost 14, Win rate 66.67%
Pieter de Villiers: Played 48, Won 30, Lost: 18, Win rate: 62.5%
Jaques Nienaber: Played 39, Won 27, Lost 12, Win Rate: 69.23%
Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images
The post Erasmus to break Bok coach record appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Rassie Erasmus will oversee a record 55th Springbok Test as head coach against Scotland at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
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