World Rugby statement: Rassie Erasmus
Rassie Erasmus has offered to stand down from South Africa’s series against the British and Irish Lions after posting online an hour-long video in which he launches an unprecedented attack on referee Nic Berry.
Erasmus’ monologue lasts 62 minutes and includes 26 clips from Saturday’s 22-17 first Test defeat by the Lions at Cape Town Stadium, with Berry’s performance repeatedly in the crosshairs.
South Africa’s director of rugby is addressing World Rugby’s head of referees Joel Jutge and director of rugby Joe Schmidt during the video, in which he says he is willing to quit for the second and third matches of the series.
World Rugby is understood to be concerned and disappointed by comments that pile pressure on to the officials for Saturday’s second Test and is seeking an explanation from his union, SA Rugby.
“World Rugby notes the comments made by Rassie Erasmus. The nature of these will be raised with the union via the usual official channels and no further comment will be made at this stage,” a statement from the game’s global governing body read.
An extraordinary rant sees Erasmus, dressed in a Springbok training top and cap, provide detailed analysis of every decision he believes Berry got wrong.
Among the many criticisms he makes of the Australian official is that he treated South Africa captain Siya Kolisi and Alun Wyn Jones, the Lions skipper, differently.
“There is a vast difference between who he was taking seriously and who he wasn’t taking seriously,” Erasmus said.
“The way they listened to Siya compared to the way they listened to Alun Wyn was definitely not with the same respect. It shows the difference in attitude towards the Springboks and the Lions.”
He defends his controversial role as a water carrier, accuses the Lions’ illegal scrummaging of inflicting a neck injury to his prop Ox Nche and blasts Warren Gatland’s objection to Marius Jonker being appointed TMO.
Jonker, a South African, is in place for all three Tests after New Zealand’s Brendon Pickerill was forced to pull out because of coronavirus-related travel restrictions.
But Berry, who is replaced by Ben O’Keeffe for the second Test but will still run the touchline, is the real target as Erasmus highlights a host of perceived inconsistencies and rails at the length of time it took to receive officiating feedback from World Rugby.
"He pulls him up from the ground as if it’s just a doll which he picks up"
– Mako Vunipola was one of many Lions singled out in an incendiary one-hour video assessment by Rassie Erasmus of last weekend’s first Test#CastleLionsSeries #LionsRugby #RSAvBIL https://t.co/YAhqbRLiP9
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) July 29, 2021
“We definitely felt that the way things unfolded on the field, didn’t benefit us by staying quiet,” said Erasmus, the mastermind of South Africa’s 2019 World Cup triumph, who revealed that the video was filmed on Tuesday.
“In my position as director of rugby, if this means I step away from being water carrier, that is fine.
“If this means I get a fine I will step away from the management team. If this means the Springboks will be in trouble I will say I did this in isolation.
We preview the biggest rugby match of the year, Lions vs Springboks Test 2 🚨
Rassie's monologue might get a mention… 👀
Tune in at 7pm tonight (BST) on YouTube and Facebook! #LionsRugby #CastleLionsSeries #lionssa2021 pic.twitter.com/xrjcRdXgXD
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) July 29, 2021
“If you think this was going over the top and it shouldn’t go out to the media, I did this in a personal capacity and not as part of the Springboks.
“It is me personally that did this because I believe in fairness. I believe two teams must have equal chance of competing in a match.
“I am not saying the referee was a cheat at all. I am saying we just wanted clarity on a Sunday night which we have now got on a Tuesday.
“I am not very convinced with the clarity with what we got from Nic Berry in this match.
“Let the Springboks and the Lions have equal chance on the field when it comes to laws, respect and the way players get treated.”
Comments on RugbyPass
An on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
24 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
24 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
24 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
24 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
11 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
11 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to comments