Erasmus and Habana appointed to influential new World Rugby committee
Erasmus is a coaching representative and Habana is a player representative on the High Performance 15s Committee.
Rassie Erasmus will be more involved in the global decision-making process. Picture: Getty Images
National director of rugby Rassie Erasmus and former Springbok Rugby World Cup winner Bryan Habana are among a host of leading international coaches and players who have been appointed to World Rugby interim committees.
Erasmus, a former Springbok loose forward and captain, led the Springboks to their third Rugby World Cup triumph last year in Japan, while Habana is the holder of the Boks’ try-scoring record of 67 tries in 124 Test matches.
Building on a productive agreement between World Rugby and International Rugby Players (IRP), each of the 12 committees will feature player representation nominated by IRP, World Rugby confirmed on Tuesday.
With the core objective of contributing to the decision-making process, the player representatives would combine extensive rugby experience with relevant expertise, including broadcast, digital media, welfare, medical, commercial and legal business backgrounds.
Erasmus and former All Blacks coach Steve Hansen joined Eddie Jones, Fabien Galthié, Mario Ledesma, Gregor Townsend, Lesley McKenzie and David Nucifora as coaching representatives on the new High Performance 15s Committee.
Habana and fellow World Cup winners Conrad Smith and Rachael Burford, along with Wales’ Dr Jamie Roberts and Canada’s Dr Araba Chintoh, were appointed as player representatives with medical expertise on the same committee.
“It is a privilege, really, to be involved at such a level with key rugby influencers,” said Erasmus.
“The committee performs a very important strategic function, with an influential impact on key functions such as shaping the laws of the game, player welfare and global competition matters.
“I am looking forward to working with the committee members as they continue to influence and improve the competitiveness of international rugby.”
The committees would work to tackle the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, further player welfare advances, harmonise international competitions and calendars for the betterment of all, and make rugby more simple, enjoyable and accessible.
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