18 Facts About Rassie Erasmus

1.

Johan "Rassie" Erasmus was born on 5 November 1972 and is a South African rugby union coach and former player.

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2.

Rassie Erasmus was the head coach of the South African national team from 2018 to the end of their 2019 World Cup campaign, doubling up on his duties as the first ever SARU Director of Rugby, to which he was appointed towards the end of 2017.

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3.

Rassie Erasmus led South Africa to win the 2019 Rugby World Cup, and he subsequently won the 2019 World Rugby Coach of the Year award.

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4.

Rassie Erasmus won 36 caps for South Africa between 1997 and 2001, including playing at the 1999 Rugby World Cup.

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5.

Rassie Erasmus is the former Director of Rugby of Irish provincial side Munster, and previously served as General Manager of High Performance Teams for the South African Rugby Union.

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6.

Rassie Erasmus started his elite rugby career with the Free State during the 1994 Currie Cup.

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7.

Rassie Erasmus featured in 15 of the 17-match consecutive win streak the Springboks recorded between 1997 and late 1998.

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8.

In 1999, Rassie Erasmus was made captain for a single test against Australia during the 1999 Tri Nations Series.

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9.

Rassie Erasmus was later named in the 30-man squad for the 1999 Rugby World Cup.

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10.

Rassie Erasmus' coaching career began in 2004, after he became the head coach of his previous club, Free State Cheetahs, for the 2004 Vodacom Cup.

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11.

The following year, Rassie Erasmus led the Cheetahs into their debut season in the Super 14 competition, finishing in tenth place with five wins from thirteen.

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12.

Rassie Erasmus was named the new Stormers head coach for the 2008 Super 14 season, where he helped improve the side to narrowly miss out on play-off places in the semi-final - lifting the team from their tenth place in 2007 to fifth in 2008.

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13.

However, following the death of head coach Anthony Foley, Rassie Erasmus took on the duties of both Director of Rugby and head coach for the remainder of the season.

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14.

Rassie Erasmus led his side to top of the pool 1 in the European Rugby Champions Cup finishing in second seed overall to advance to the Quarter-finals.

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15.

On 30 June 2017, it was confirmed that Rassie Erasmus would be leaving Munster in December 2017 to become South Africa's Director of Rugby, a position that has never been filled at SARU.

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16.

In November 2021, Rassie Erasmus was banned from all rugby activity for two months after six complaints were lodged by World Rugby in regards to Rassie Erasmus' behaviour towards match officials during a Springboks-Lions game.

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17.

Rassie Erasmus feels that factors affecting rugby success are consistency in selection, rhythm and momentum, having few injuries, and luck.

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18.

Rassie Erasmus tends to be very open about his opinions, both in his playing group and with the media.

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