World class coaching staff: The men behind the Boks’ success

They say too many chefs spoil the broth, but when it comes to the Springboks’ large coaching staff it seems the opposite is true as it has led to unprecedented success over the past six years.

Led by maverick Rassie Erasmus, as head coach in 2018 and 2019, as Director of Rugby from 2020 to 2023, and now again as head coach, the Boks have won two World Cups, two Rugby Championships, and a British and Irish Lions series during an incredible six-year run.

Key to that has been a brilliant coaching group brought together to back Erasmus over that period, including his good friend and close collaborator Jacques Nienaber who coached the Boks to the World Cup title in France last year.

When Erasmus took over the Boks in 2018, after a disastrous few years under Allister Coetzee, the Boks were in a bad place and less than two years out from the next World Cup in Japan.

However, he assembled a crack team to assist him, in Nienaber, Mzwandile Stick, Deon Davids, Matt Proudfoot and Swys de Bruin as they looked to turn the team’s fortunes around.

Aled Walters then joined as head of athletic performance in 2019, while De Bruin left due to personal reasons and was replaced by Felix Jones ahead of the World Cup.

Following the triumph in Japan Proudfoot left for England, to be replaced by Daan Human, and Walters also departed with Andy Edwards taking his place, while Erasmus was elevated to Director of Rugby and Nienaber took over the head coaching role.

Second straight Webb Ellis

That group then led the Boks to victories against the British and Irish Lions in 2021 and a second straight Webb Ellis Cup in France in 2023.

This year a few changes were again made, the big one seeing Nienaber depart to take up a role at Irish giants Leinster, while Jones left to join England.

This saw New Zealander Tony Brown and Irishman Jerry Flannery step into the breach, while former Bok star eighthman Duane Vermeulen was brought in to join the Boks’ roving coaching group.

All three have made their mark over a very successful 2024 season, with the highlight being a brilliant Rugby Championship title winning campaign.

Speaking after the Boks closed out their season with a 45-12 win over Wales, Erasmus said: “I think for us having a new attack and defence coach after the World Cup, the way the players adapted to that and how those coaches slotted into our management team has been superb.”

It has thus been the perfect start to the current World Cup cycle, as the Boks look ahead to Australia 2027, and they will be mightily pleased with how their coaching staff is shaping up.