Rassie Erasmus Addresses All Blacks’ Signing of Key Springboks Coaching Member
- Springboks director of rugby Rassie Erasmus broke his silence after the All Blacks confirmed the signing of attack coach Tony Brown
- Brown will remain with South Africa until after the 2027 Rugby World Cup before joining New Zealand on a two-year deal in 2028
- The SA rugby coach revealed the Springboks already have potential replacements in mind for one of their most influential coaches
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Springboks director of rugby Rassie Erasmus has dismissed any suggestion of bitterness following confirmation that attack coach Tony Brown will join the All Blacks after the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
New Zealand Rugby announced Brown's appointment on a two-year contract set to begin in 2028, meaning he will continue working with South Africa through their campaign to secure a third consecutive World Cup title before switching allegiances to their fiercest rivals.
Erasmus Defends Brown's Decision
Speaking after the move was confirmed in June, Erasmus was candid about his feelings toward the development.
"We've rated him for a long time; we go a long way back, we are great friends," Erasmus told reporters, as quoted by Planet Rugby. "People will judge Tony for wanting to go back to New Zealand, but we are really, really happy for him."
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Erasmus noted that Brown had always been transparent about his ambition to return to his home country at some point. The former All Blacks fly-half, who earned 18 caps for New Zealand during his playing career, joined the Springboks set-up in 2024 and played a central role in reshaping their attacking structure.
Erasmus made clear that releasing Brown ahead of schedule was never considered, despite the destination being South Africa's greatest rival.
All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie was involved in the process and backed the appointment.
Springboks Eye Replacements
While Brown's exit will leave a significant void in the coaching structure, Erasmus indicated that succession planning was already underway.
"We have a few guys in mind on who could replace Tony," he said. "We're happy that we still have him for two years. We still want to learn a lot from him, and we are very happy for him."
Brown's value to the Springboks set-up was evident during the recent four-Test series against New Zealand, which South Africa won 3-1. When he eventually crosses to the opposition bench in 2028, he will bring more knowledge of the team he helped build into one of the most dominant sides in world rugby.
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Source: Briefly News
