Rassie Erasmus films 20-minute video explaining social media use
Controversial Springboks boss Rassie Erasmus has filmed a 20-minute video explaining his use of social media. The South African director of rugby was recently hit with a two-game stadium ban by World Rugby, who interpreted his tweets as sarcastic criticism of the match officials during the opening part of his team’s four-match November tour.
Erasmus held clear-the-air talks last week in London with World Rugby CEO Alan Gilpin and Phil Davies, the director of rugby, and after SA Rugby released a media statement on that meeting on the morning of last Saturday’s tour-ending game versus England, the Springboks boss soon posted two tweets.
The first posted an image of the SA Rugby statement, about which Erasmus wrote: “Thanks!! Appreciate your views and input! Lekka.” He then sent a second tweet containing a link to Vimeo, the video-hosting platform, suggesting a 15-minute chat on Wednesday.
Erasmus followed this up in midweek, stating in another message: “If we get ten or more viewers we will give it a go at 18h00 South African time.” The rugby boss got way more people online than that minuscule target and he proceeded to stay online for 20 minutes and 34 seconds in a live video filmed from an office containing, in the background, shelves stacked with folders.
He began: “I have never done this and I said it would only be 15 minutes. Hopefully, I will stick to my word and it will only be 15 minutes. Obviously, there is nothing really controversial that will be said here. It’s just a platform where for the first time I can try and speak in a relaxed way not before or after a Test match… I see there are three to four hundred people on already so I will be chatting with more than my family.
https://twitter.com/RassieRugby/status/1597944941770321920
“Why would I do this? Sometimes when you do press conferences and stuff like that you don’t always get the opportunity to get the whole what you said. Sometimes the press conference gets cut into pieces… And I thought a chat like that post a tough year (would help).
“People want to know why am I on social media. If I can just answer that one that will be a start and then a catch-up chat in a couple of weeks with maybe some other topics and I might open the messages so you can add comments. Nothing controversial, just why I and the players would be on social media.”
Erasmus started off by explaining the #strongertogether campaign that was launched when he took the job and set about reviving the lapsed fortunes of the Springboks, guiding them to World Cup glory in Japan the following year.
He then went on to explain the mechanics of a working week with the team and why social media is the reason they, unlike most of their Test-level rivals, publicly name their XV on the Tuesday of a match week after privately telling the squad the day before.
“Internally, the team must know the team as quickly as possible because of social media. It is purely to protest the players, to get focused and aligned for the Test match that happens the next Saturday.
“We have exposure to the team 24 hours during a week, 1,400 minutes which our programme allows where we do the rugby-related stuff, the rugby-specific things… We have our programme Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday morning.
“I have sometimes seen a player leaving on a Wednesday at 12 o’clock from a brilliant training and seeing him on the Thursday evening or the Friday morning and the player is a totally different player, either too much confidence or no confidence, or something is really bothering him.
“In the beginning, I was totally against it: stay off social media, don’t follow it, all those things but eventually, you get to understand this is here to stay and social media eventually takes everything and combines it into one platform.
“If you don’t know the narrative that is currently out there you will sometimes be surprised by what is going on with this player and why is this player rattled. It’s because they read social media… it finds its path to the person you directed it to.
“We are competing with what is the opinion of people, which is sometimes 100 per cent right, but sometimes when you are trying to give a player confidence, a goalkicker or a guy who is making his debut or a person who feels he must be in the team or a player who has been dropped and then what happens on social media if you are not on top of that.
“So I decided to join just to find out why are players leaving on a Wednesday afternoon and you see them on a Thursday evening and they are either walking on water and some guys are level headed where it doesn’t influence them but then with others you see there is a hell of a story going on out there. So that is why I joined social media.”
Erasmus then explained the importance he felt in connecting with the Springboks fans through social media and how he felt it helped people understand the human side of rugby. He concluded: “The topic was social media. Not that I am an expert. I am going to finish off by saying there are reasons why we do things,
“I hope I explained most of that and maybe we will do this again and hopefully I didn’t say something that can get me into trouble again. Thanks for tuning in. Sorry, it was 20 minutes and not 15. Maybe again next week or if I see there is some good engagement and this helps at some level maybe a little bit later or sooner. Have a lovely day.”
Comments on RugbyPass
The value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
3 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
10 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
37 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
10 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
37 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
3 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
37 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
37 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
37 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
37 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
37 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to comments