Sky commentator weighs in on Tony Brown's Springboks contract situation

Longtime Sky Sport commentator and rugby pundit Tony Johnson has given his take on whether current Springboks assistant coach Tony Brown is any chance of returning to New Zealand to take up a role with the All Blacks.

Current Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus posted on social media twice on Sunday implying that Brown isn’t going anywhere and won’t be returning to New Zealand, at least in this World Cup cycle.

Erasmus signed a new deal late last year to keep him at the Springboks until the 2031 Rugby World Cup in Australia, and when that deal was signed, it was announced that deals for the assistant coaches were currently in the works.

If Brown were to be locked in for 2027 and beyond with the Springboks, Joseph’s chances of becoming the All Blacks head coach could possibly take a hit, as other candidates wait in the wings.

Despite publicly discussing how much he’s enjoying the Springboks environment, many people, including Johnson believe that Brown could want to return and coach for the All Blacks, and it’s just a matter of what his contract looks like.

Speaking on the DSPN Podcast with Martin Devlin, Johnson questions whether there is an out-clause in Brown’s contract, even with negotiations going ahead for a new contract with the Springboks.

“The mystery about Tony Brown is, is what is he completely locked in with South Africa? Is there a get-out clause? Is there potential for New Zealand Rugby to buy him out?

“That would cost them a lot of money, but I think they could have to go back and knock on the door of uncle Silver Lake or something like that in order to do that.

“So that’s the big question over Tony Brown, is he actually, I think he’d probably love to do it. He’s a New Zealander, yeah, and I’m sure he’d love to,” Johnson said.

But although Brown is a New Zealander, and has previously been keen on a role with the All Blacks, Johnson doesn’t doubt how enjoyable it is to be in such an innovative international environment.

“But then you look at what he’s been doing with the Springboks, you have seen the innovation at the Springboks and some of the innovations haven’t worked, but they’ve at least tried them, but there’s things in there that have got Tony Brown all over them.

“Rassie, he’s the guy. I mean, he is the head coach. He sets the tone for that whole team, but I think Tony Brown’s been an excellent addition to his coaching staff. And so he’s got a strong possibility if he stays with South Africa that he becomes a World Cup winning coach.”