The South African Rugby Union (SARU) on Sunday announced the appointment of former Springbok loose forward Rassie Erasmus into a senior management position at the organisation.
sport24
Erasmus has been appointed at SARU to fill the vacant position of General Manager: High Performance Teams. He will also be seconded to the Springboks when they are in camp.
“Rassie is one of the most astute brains in world rugby – his appointment at SARU will ensure we have the best possible leadership at our national teams. He will work with all the national teams, but will be involved with the Springboks while they are in camp,” said SARU CEO Jurie Roux.
“Our aim is to always produce winning teams and Rassie’s main task will be to establish structures to do this. He will be tasked to create a blueprint for South African rugby that can be implemented from junior to senior level, for our men’s, women’s and sevens’ teams.”
Springbok head coach Heyneke Meyer said he was very happy with Erasmus’ appointment at SARU and that he was looking forward to working with the former Springbok loose forward.
“Rassie’s inputs to the Springboks last year were lauded by everyone I spoke to and his coaching pedigree speaks for itself, considering the vast amount of success he’s had at the Cheetahs and Western Province,” said Meyer.
“I’m excited to have him on board and I know he will add value to rugby in South Africa, which is ultimately what his job will be.”
Roux also announced that SARU has entered into formal negotiations with Bulls forwards coach Johann van Graan, former Springbok fullback and Blue Bulls backline coach Ricardo Loubscher, Bulls defence coach John McFarland and Bulls conditioning coach Basil Carzis.
SARU would also like to secure the services of Cheetahs conditioning coach Niel du Plessis, former Springbok flyhalf and Paarl Gymnasium Director of Sport Louis Koen, former French prop Pieter de Villiers and Ian Schwartz, High Performance Manager of the Blue Bulls.
Furthermore, three members of the Springbok medical team from the last four years, Craig Roberts (team doctor), Vivian Verwant (physiotherapist) and Daliah Hurwitz (masseuse) have been re-appointed.
The rest of the management team will consist of Charles Wessels (Operational Head), Annelee Murray (PR and Admin Manager), JJ Fredericks (Logistics), Albé Visser (Technical Analyst) and De Jongh Borchardt (Communications Manager).
“It’s no secret that the negotiations around the Springbok assistant coaches positions have taken longer than we had hoped, but we want to give Heyneke the team that he sees as the best for doing the job,” said Roux.
“I’m very pleased that the process of securing the services of the right people is now in full swing and we’re confident that negotiations will be concluded soon as the Castle Lager Incoming Tour against England looms large.
“We know the people identified by Heyneke are the best in the business and we’ve worked very hard behind the scenes to secure their services to Springbok rugby. An announcement in this regard will be made very soon.”
Meyer said: “At this stage, I can’t really comment on the process, but I would like to thank SARU for the effort they’ve put in to getting the people I’ve identified to be part of my management.
“I have worked closely with most of the people while others have come very highly regarded and I’m confident the Springboks will benefit from their involvement. We will work well together as a team and will hit the ground running in the short turnaround for the first Test against England,” Meyer said.
I can’t find anything on the new captain anywhere on the wires, presume there was no announcement on this front
Pieter de Villiers is a name that I did not expect… but the South African French prop should be of good value.
He is eloquent in presentation, was a damn fine prop… good appointment!
Also glad that SARU are going to great lenghts to give Heyneke Meyer every possible chance… the chance that he and this Nation deserves.
Bokke forwards, lineout, scrumming coaches are formidable… nothing wrong there.
Conditioning and Fittness coaches as well as defensive coaches tick all the right marks…
Backline coach…. mmmmm… we’ll have to wait and see.
Appointing Ian Schwartz from the Bulls is a master stroke… but a massive loss for the Bulls, maybe more so than any of their other coaches.
grootblousmile wrote:
Why? I know nothing about him, details please
So, the deputies have all been announced, but it seems that salary negotiations for four Bulls coaches hasn’t been completed yet. That, in my book, is pretty dumb by SARU, if true. SARU will be taken to the cleaners on this one, coaches hold all the aces. SARU vs. van Graan, McFarland, etc. means they’re on a salary hiding second to none,
Ian Schwartz is the brains (combined with Heyneke Meyer) to the Bulls recruitment policy now for years… for talent identification… for contracting and to a large part for garnering the Family Culture at the Bulls.
He speaks English very deliciously… but other than that he is one of the classiest Rugby Administrators in the game, world wide!
He is approachable, friendly… and just the right man all round.
I have had extensive exposure to the man… hell, he has even read Rugby-Talk!
grootblousmile wrote:
I like him already!!!!
Compare what has happened in the Snor era to how things are now carefully considered at the moment, how SARU has been roped into buying into Heyneke Meyer’s vision.. and tell me you don’t already feel more at ease and comfortable than before….
8@ grootblousmile:You lads may yet require the services of Snor!!!!
9 @ Just For Kicks:
Not a farking chance…. hehehehe
So have Percy’s services been retained or will he have to continue his new media work with Keo?
Have you seen Percy on Keo TV?
He is coming on in leaps and bounds and may soon be allowed to speak a whole sentence straight to camera with no cuts!! 🙂
11@ Blue Bird:Trying to string a normal sentence for anyone is a challenge on Keo – I can just imagine how much harder it must be for Monty. Kudos, boet
@ Just For Kicks:
He is very endearing on there, make a change from Ryan and his incredibly strange accent and Keo and his punchy delivery.
Have you had any ‘Bok’s past or present up for Pizza yet? Looks like you have a great place well worth a visit! 🙂
11 @ Blue Bird:
Louis Koen will be the Bokke kicking coach… sorry!
@ grootblousmile:
Are you serious?
No more staring at the sideline for me, waiting for Percy to run on with the kicking tee or the water bottles.
I feel strangely bereft!!
Who is the boss now, HM or RE?
Is Rassie a bigger appointment than HM or what?
I feel that Rassie is not such a great move by SARU. Hopefully he can shut his trap and tricks and leave Heynecke enough room to implement his own blue print, after all Henecke has been there , done it.
@ superBul:I don’t see the point of Rassie. Yes, he did well with the VRYSTAAAAAAAAAT, but the Stormers are doing better without him, and the Boks never even made it past the 1/4 finals with him as an adviser.
.
@ Loosehead:
I see there is a new article on N24, Rassie must provide blueprint.
The guy with the BLUEPRINT That works is HM.
Pretoria – The appointment of former Springbok captain and loose forward Rassie Erasmus as General Manager: High Performance Teams at SARU was made with a long term objective in mind.
“Our aim is to always produce winning teams and Rassie’s main task will be to establish structures to do this,” said SA Rugby Union (SARU) CEO Jurie Roux here on Sunday.
“He will be tasked to create a blueprint for South African rugby that can be implemented from junior to senior level, for our men’s, women’s and sevens’ teams.”
Roux pointed out that the appointment would also involve looking at junior structures.
“We are looking beyond the next World Cup, to the 2019 World Cup, in fact,” he said.
“Some of the players now in our under-16 structures will then be 23, 24 years of age.”
Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer, renowned for his meticulous planning and establishing the structures at the Blue Bulls and Bulls that made them the leading South African team of the new millennium, welcomed the appointment of Erasmus and emphasised that the future and South African rugby as a whole should benefit from not only Erasmus’s appointment, but also the management and consultants of the Springbok team.
“Rassie’s inputs to the Springboks last year were lauded by everyone I spoke to and his coaching pedigree speaks for itself, considering the vast amount of success he’s had at the Cheetahs and Western Province,” said Meyer.
“I’m excited to have him on board [with the Boks] and I know he will add value to rugby in South Africa, which is ultimately what his job will be.”
6@ grootblousmile:
Looking at the list of coaching staff we Bulls are losing it seems quite daunting and interesting was thinking from all thats been written about the success of the high performance centre and its culture of excellence that Ian Swartz would be one big loss, so you confirm that having had closer contact with the man. Surely he should have the position that Rassie has been given, sounds more in line with what he has been doing? What does the role Springbok manager, which I think is Swartz’s position, entail? Who can we get in his place, what are your thoughts about Nick Mallet, he is probably more of a coach than guy who can do what Swartz was doing I guess, would forwards coach be a position he would consider or is it not high profile enough on its own. Also think loss of conditioning coach is a significant hope can get someone as able in soon.
20 @ Bullscot:
Yip, Ian to my mind would have done a better job than Rassie as SA’s High Performance Manager.
Not exactly sure how Heyneke plans to use Ian, but they’ve come a long way together and the mutual understanding seems to work seemlessly!
One of the first names which came to my mind to help fill the Bulls void (Both Heyneke & Ian’s positions) was Nick Mallet… but is he the right guy.. will he fit into the Family Culture at Loftus… or will he even consider moving up North to Pretoria?
Is Mallett’s personality not too strong, so much so that he will want to change the current success recepy to suit his own ideas?
Guess we’ll see how it pans out soon enough!
17 @ Loosehead
to be fair, Rassie was always roped in at the last possible moment with the Boks, when the paw paw, had already produced a delicious fruit salad!
Steve se nuwe song:
Maak allie ou toppies bokke !!!
The easy way out of this for HM is for his team to win. When the Boks are winning, no-one cares who the coaching staff are.
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