Rassie Erasmus Shuts Down Tony Brown Exit Rumours As Springboks Grow Frustrated

Speculation linking Tony Brown to a potential coaching move to New Zealand proved an irritant for both the Springboks and SA Rugby, particularly with the World Cup still two years away.

Speaking in his first in-depth interview of 2026, Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus reiterated that Brown remains contracted to the world champions through to 2027. He acknowledged, however, that the former All Black ultimately harbours aspirations of leading his home nation one day.

Despite that long-term ambition, the attack coach has pledged his full focus to South Africa as the Boks gear up for an intensive 2026 schedule. Their calendar includes Nations Cup Tests against England, Scotland and Wales, followed by a renewed chapter of rugby’s fiercest rivalry against New Zealand later in the year. The two sides are scheduled to meet four times, with three fixtures in South Africa and a fourth in Baltimore, USA.

Read also

Retired sports star AJ Ogilvy breaks silence comes out after years of hiding his identity

Brown’s name surfaced prominently after New Zealand parted ways with Scott Robertson following a two-year tenure, fuelling reports that he could form part of a revamped All Blacks coaching team. Erasmus responded light-heartedly on social media, posting a video on X that edited Brown into a famous Wolf of Wall Street scene declaring, “I’m not f… leaving.” While the post drew praise locally, it also triggered criticism from across the Tasman.

“It was slightly frustrating to see suggestions that Tony might walk away before his contract expires,” Erasmus said on Monday.

“We touched base with him to confirm nothing had changed, and he was very clear — his deal runs until 2027 and he is fully committed to this setup. Ideally, we’d like to keep him beyond that point, but we don’t control if or when New Zealand approaches him, or whether they do at all.”

Source: Briefly News