Is Rassie Erasmus The Greatest Coach In Springboks History?
Is Rassie Erasmus The Greatest Coach In Springboks History?
See why Rassie Erasmus might be the best South Africa Springboks head coach of all time, from his experience to his culture.
The South Africa Springboks have been one of, if not the most prominent, forces in international rugby for decades.
The Springboks claimed a World Cup victory in 2023 and a Rugby Championship title in 2024, and are coasting through the 2025 season as the No. 1 ranked team in the world.
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However, success wasn’t always achieved so consistently for the Springboks.
It took a lot of different coaches and runner-up finishes until they finally landed a leader who would revive them.
Head coach Rassie Erasmus quickly earned the respect of his players and the rest of South Africa after his first tenure, and he has cemented himself in the history books as one of, if not the greatest, Springboks coach of all time.
First Stint With South Africa Rugby
Erasmus joined the Springboks in 2018 to replace Allister Coetzee, who coached the squad from 2016-2017.
Coetzee left South Africa with a 11-12-2 record, the worst in nearly a decade.
Meanwhile, Erasmus was hot off a fabulous career with Irish rugby club Munster.
Erasmus was able to bring the Springboks to No. 2 in the world following the 2018 Rugby Championship, their highest ranking since 2014.
The Championship featured a win against New Zealand for South Africa’s first victory over the All Blacks since 2009, and nearly another in the Freedom Cup.
The following season, Erasmus led his team to a Rugby Championship title and would go on to achieve South Africa’s third World Cup with a win over England in the final.
Erasmus announced that following the 2019 World Cup, he would revert to his duties as the director of rugby for South Africa.
Return To The Springboks
Erasmus came back to South Africa ahead of the 2024 season and currently reigns as the head coach.
The 2024 season was loaded with a series draw against Ireland, while the Springboks also claimed another Rugby Championship win.
South Africa holds a 14-2 record in Erasmus’ second tenure.
FloRugby expert Philip Bendon said the foundation Erasmus has built for the Springboks could be enough for the squad to see success even in his wake.
"They've got so much talent coming through all the time that really they can keep going for as long as they stay well-organized and well-structured with a coach like Rassie in charge," Bendon said.
Who Else Can Compete With Erasmus?
There have been previous Springboks coaches who have taken South Africa to international glory and even had a better winning percentage than Erasmus.
Kitch Chistie was the last head coach to have a perfect record, but it was only for one season between 1994-1995.
Jake White saw a 2007 World Cup victory and wins over Ireland, France, England and Scotland. He also had a Tri-Nations win in 2005 with the Springboks, which could make him eligible as one of the best, especially since he took over a team that went 12-11 the years before his arrival.
However, looking at the big picture, Erasmus took in a struggling team in 2018 and made an immediate impact that was obvious on the field.
Soaring from a 44% win rate with Coetzee to a 65% win rate under Erasmus was the biggest production jump since 1997.
His second stint with the team already is promising, as the Springboks remain No. 1 in the world heading into the 2025 Rugby Championship.
To be able to rebuild a team and have such a quick turnaround of success puts Erasmus as truly one of the the most experienced and talented head coaches the Springboks have seen in recent history.
His ability to gain the respect of not only his players, but the fans as well, truly has made him an icon of South Africa, according to Bendon.
"He's just such a spiritual leader," Bendon said. "If South Africa were to do a presidential election tomorrow, and either Siya Kolisi or Rassie Erasmus were on the ballot, they'd win. He has a really unique way of bringing people together."
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