Rassie Erasmus names his biggest achievement in rugby
Rassie Erasmus has named his biggest achievement in rugby – and it isn’t winning the Rugby World Cup with South Africa. The South African director of rugby has had his autobiography, which was published just before the start of Rugby World Cup 2023, translated into English and it is now on the shelves in the UK and Ireland ahead of the traditional Christmas uptick in book sales.
For sure, the 300-page-plus publication titled ‘Rassie – Stories of Life and Rugby’ is a breezy read, starting off with his upbringing in Despatch in the Eastern Cape and continuing right through until prior to the start of Rugby World Cup 2023, which the Springboks won in France to clinch back-to-back titles for the first time.
Despite all his achievements on the international stage as a player and coach, Erasmus stated in the book’s closing chapter that his biggest achievement in the game was the creation in South Africa a decade ago of the elite player development pathway which widened the net on the players that were scouted.
Reflecting on his career, Erasmus concluded: “My biggest achievement has been the creation of the EPD pathway. I get immense pleasure from watching young players, who might otherwise not have had opportunities, become Springboks and play in a World Cup final.
“I remember going to Border with Jacques (Nienaber) to help their coach in 2013 and we saw this young centre, Lukhanyo Am. I told Jacques we had to keep him on our radar. Six years later, he was winning the World Cup. Those are the moments that stay with me.
If you're curious to know how Rassie and Jacques built this Springbok team, how they train, what motivates them and why they're so successful, it's all in Rassie's memoir. And a lot more. It's a remarkable story of a rugby-obsessed kid from the tiny world of Despatch who… https://t.co/rHWjw8N0cr
— David O'Sullivan (@davidosullie) November 1, 2023
“I often get accused of being a political animal, doing the bidding of my political masters, because of the way I handled transformation and selected my Springbok teams. Let me be very clear – not once in my Springbok coaching career has anyone ever told me who to select based on political considerations.
“My selections have been my free choice, in consultation with my assistant coaches. I can almost hear people who want to believe I play political games shouting ‘Bulls***’ when they read this. I can’t change their minds.
“I’ve tried, but I realise some people don’t want to know the facts. I’m being honest when I say I made Siya (Kolisi) captain and picked a group of young black players against England (in 2018), not because I had to make up quota numbers but because they were the right players for the job. And without question, they all proved themselves worthy of their selection.
“I did the groundwork to fix rugby all those years ago with the introduction of the EPD pathway. When it started producing fruit, I didn’t have to worry about transformation targets because the right players were ready for the big time.
“Transformation is not a matter of white player out, black player in. It’s about fair and equal opportunities, but first we had to create those opportunities.”
Erasmus added: “I take great pride in watching how rugby has changed from being supported by a minority of people in South Africa to a sport embraced by all its people. Rugby has shown how South Africans, no matter what race we are, what language we speak, or what background we come from, can all work together. We can beat countries more powerful and richer than ours if we stand together and use all our resources.
“I look back on my rugby life, with its achievements and its mistakes, with a degree of satisfaction. I played in big Test matches and I coached in even bigger ones. I hope my lasting contribution is having provided opportunities to people who stepped up and took them. Anyone can play rugby if they are just given the chance.
“You can be a boy from Bishops in Cape Town, Grey College in Bloemfontein, or Paul Roos Gym in Stellenbosch. You can be a boy from Hoërskool Brackenfell near Kraaifontein, Jim Mvabaza Senior Secondary in King William’s Town (now Qonce), or Ntyatyambo Primary in Zwide. Or you can be a boy from Hoërskool Despatch in Despatch.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Starts to be overdone and oversold this systematic SA narrative…which nevertheless has the merit in this case to recognise blatant refereeing mistakes in their favor
2 Go to commentsNice article. Shades of Steinbeck. They can win the final if they take the game seriously; but only if they take it seriously.
2 Go to commentsWhat a sad way to end a glittering career. Somebody should tell him to delete his social media accounts and face the consequences of what he's done. Then he should slip away quietly into obscurity. This isn't likely to happen, something tells me he'll be back in The Sun / Daily Mail sooner rather than later.
3 Go to commentsguys its fine! he understands why he did what he did and has taken accountability for it; why should he have to be accountable to a court? after all he did was abuse people in person - its not as if he was engaging in _online_ abuse!
3 Go to commentsChiefs flanker Kaylum Boshier yellow-carded for collapsing the scrum as it rolled towards the line. It was a maul….
1 Go to commentsyou know, i’m a leinster fan so I want Northampton to lose and it is gonna be tuff with Cortney lawes, Alex michell and the other guys🏉 lets go leinster🏉
1 Go to commentsWelcome to the Pro ranks. Those hard teams of old do hit the sole better though. its a dog fight at the top.
6 Go to commentsCan someone fill me in please, I've read a number of Ben Smith articles now and it seems he's got something again South Africa? Surely, this game was over and done with 7 months ago. Can't we have something a bit more interesting and relevant, or is this the calibre of journalist on this site?
228 Go to commentsNot sure what the Welsh are moaning about. They’ve had far more players off England, than England have had off Wales. Guys like Josh Hathaway and Kane James will play for Wales in the end. And they’ll be fsr better players for having played in the Gallagher Premiership, than they ever would have been had they stayed mired in the shambles that is Welsh rugby.
3 Go to commentsThis is all being blown totally out of proportion. First of all, since half the Irish team isn’t Irish - it’s very likely that none of the Irish players said that at all and, thus, we’re not being arrogant. Second, since half the Irish team is Kiwi - it’s very likely the Kiwi players were predicting a NZ SA World Cup final. Which they got spot on. Good on them!
163 Go to commentsAha. An Irishman with logic! Follow the flow: - Ireland peaks with a >80% win record between 2020 and 2023. And then… - crashes out of another QF at the WC; - Beat a poor French Team; - Beat 6N wooden spoonists Italy; - Play shite against eventual wooden spoonists Wales; - Lose against the most boring, “the worst English team ever” , a team widely regarded as unable to attack; - scrape through against Scotland. This article, No - Trimble, is on the money! Except for one glaring statement: _The Springboks have a few aces in the hole in this debate being the reigning world champions and official world number ones_ There is no debate, boys and girls. There it is. In black and white. “Reigning World Champions and OFFICIAL world number ones”. Come July, the overrated Andy Farrell and this overhyped team are going to enter into a world of hurt.
86 Go to commentsI’d like to know what homoerotic events Daniel enjoyed at 8th man. I clearly missed out!
19 Go to commentsThis article is missing some detail, like some actual context or info about what led to him abusing the ref.
2 Go to comments*They used to say that football is a gentleman sport watched by hooligans and rugby is a hooligan sport watched by gentlemen. How times have changed.*
3 Go to commentsexcept ot wasnt late wasnt late at all so dont know why you all saying its late he commits early and its your fault fir not paying attention
30 Go to commentsNot sure the Bulls need another average utility back in their ranks. Chamberlain has been ok for the Sharks but is by no means an X-Factor player. Bulls bought several utility backs which they barely use. A typical example would be Henry Immelman who plays mostly Fullback. The Bulls however have rarely played him this year and he has played wing or centre. Bulls want to build depth but seems like they have too many surplus players
1 Go to commentsABs lost against a side playing without a hooker - The guy playing, had one shoulder. Line outs were a gimme for the ABs, and the last 8 minutes 14 played 14 against a team that had been smashed 3 weeks in a row… Yet with all that possession, with all that territory, with all the advantages they actually had, especially in the last 8 minutes, they couldn’t buy a point. Those last 8 minutes determined if they outplayed the Boks or not. History will show that the Boks completely outplayed the ABs, especially in those last 8 minutes, the business end of any rugby match
228 Go to commentsWould’ve, could’ve, should’ve, didn’t.
228 Go to commentsKok will become a fan favourite
1 Go to commentsI am really looking forward to Leigh Halfpenny playing his first Super rugby game for the Crusaders Playing a long side his former Welsh and Scarlets team mate Johnny McNicoll.Johnny has been playing great, back in a Crusaders jersey.The attack has strengthened big time. Also looking forward to David Havili at 10. David is a class act, it also allows Dallas McLeod to remain at 12. A good thing.
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