Steve Hansen Warns Rassie Erasmus Veteran Boks May Retire Before 2027 World Cup
- Former All Blacks coach Steve Hansen issued a warning to Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus about his veteran players ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup
- Hansen named Eben Etzebeth, Siya Kolisi and Cheslin Kolbe among the experienced Boks whose futures remain uncertain
- The New Zealand legend drew on his own experience managing an ageing squad before the 2019 World Cup campaign
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Former All Blacks head coach Steve Hansen has cautioned Rassie Erasmus that several of South Africa's most experienced players could opt to retire before the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
Hansen, speaking on a collaboration between the Rugby Unity and For the Love of Rugby SA podcasts, drew on his own experience managing New Zealand's squad after the 2015 World Cup. He said coaching staff must have honest conversations with senior players about whether they still have the drive to sustain the demands of Test rugby.
Hansen's Warning to Erasmus
"We had a group of players heading into 2015 who were getting on the older side, and we had a discussion one by one with them about what they controlled," Hansen said.
"They were the only person who could tell you if they still had the desire, the genuine desire to do the work from Sunday to Friday, Saturday is always the fun time; that's when everyone can all still be playing if we could do that."
The Springboks carry a significant number of veterans who featured in their back-to-back World Cup victories, including Eben Etzebeth, Siya Kolisi, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Jesse Kriel, and Cheslin Kolbe. Hansen acknowledged the enormous value these players bring but said Erasmus must prepare for the possibility that not all of them will commit to another cycle.
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Exit With Dignity
Hansen emphasised that players who make that decision should be respected rather than pushed out.
"They're brave enough to tell you. So you exit them out of the team in a way that they deserve to be exited out because they're champion players. But if they still have that desire, they'll front up, and they'll play well."
The comments come as the Springboks look to build their squad depth ahead of the 2027 tournament, with the balance between retaining experience and integrating younger talent a key challenge for Erasmus in the coming months.
Source: Briefly News
