One always wondered for just how long Rassie Erasmus was going to stay in an office instead of getting back on to the field, and on Monday he made his move and quit his job at SA Rugby.
Erasmus, the eccentric character who captured the imagination of the South Africa rugby public by jumping on to a stadium roof and waving colour-coded boards to his players, has been operating as the general manager of high performance at SA Rugby for four years.
But on Monday, SA Rugby announced that Erasmus was leaving the national body after the June Test series against Ireland to join Irish club Munster on a three-year deal from July 1.
“I’d like to thank my colleagues at SA Rugby, and specifically the CEO Jurie Roux for affording me the opportunity to serve in my role for the past four years. It was truly an honour to work in an environment where innovation and pushing the boundaries of acceptable norms was encouraged,” the former Stormers boss said in a statement.
“I have learnt a great deal from my experiences at SA Rugby and trust that the organisation under its current leadership will achieve great things on and off the field.
“The decision to accept Munster’s offer was ultimately a personal one, which I made with my family, at what we believe is the right time. Munster is without doubt the best club for me to experience something different as part of personal goals I have set.”
There have been reports about the 43-year-old’s apparent unhappiness around the squabble between SA Rugby president Oregan Hoskins and Roux following the allegations of financial mismanagement against Roux while he worked at Stellenbosch University previously.
But the mention of “personal goals” will hopefully see Erasmus back in the coaching box in the future.
Whatever may or may not have happened at SA Rugby, the former loose forward wasn’t in charge of his own team, even though his job was one more akin to a “mad scientist” working out clever ploys and new ways of getting an edge for all national teams and Super Rugby franchises.
There have been suggestions that Erasmus was upset about being overlooked for the Bok head coaching position given to Allister Coetzee, but the man himself seemed to rubbish those rumours by saying: “Allister Coetzee was the Rugby Department’s recommendation to take over as Springbok coach (and) it’s a new era for Springbok rugby.
“It was a tough decision to make as I believe I leave SA Rugby at an exciting point. The team will never be far from my heart.”
After giving up the Stormers coaching reins after the 2009 Super Rugby season to Coetzee to take up a WP director of rugby-type role instead up to 2012, the time spent at SA Rugby may have broadened Erasmus’ horizons as he had become quite conservative as the Stormers head coach.
Going to Europe will certainly allow Erasmus to “experience something different”, even though he won’t be the head coach of Munster, as that position is filled by Anthony Foley. But a director of rugby in Europe is much more hands-on in terms of coaching than in South Africa, so Erasmus can find his groove with the whistle in hand again.
“I’d like to thank Rassie for the massive contribution he has made in establishing the Rugby Department and ensuring SA Rugby remain leaders on and off the field,” Roux said on Monday.
“It will be difficult to replace Rassie, but we’ll make an appointment in due course. The Rugby Department is functioning extremely well, with experts at all levels ensuring the department runs smoothly on a daily basis.
“Hopefully this will not be the end of Rassie’s contribution to rugby in South Africa. He’s done so much as a player, team manager and coach for various teams in South Africa, and in the last four years at SA Rugby. We’d like to wish him well for his future endeavours.”
Munster CEO Garrett Fitzgerald confirmed on the team’s website that Erasmus would be responsible for performance and results.
“The Director of Rugby role will lead Munster’s senior team, academy and coaches to deliver Munster’s Strategic Plan, with ultimate responsibility for team performance and results. The role will have overall responsibility for defining on-field strategy and ensuring its implementation,” Fitzgerald said.
“We look forward to welcoming Rassie at the start of the 2016/17 season in what will be an exciting time for the province as we operate from our new High Performance Centre.”
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