Rassie Erasmus says the Springboks need to stay at the forefront of rugby’s innovations if they are going to achieve a World Cup three-peat in 2027.

Erasmus was speaking after the full Springbok coaching staff met in-person for the first time during a strategic session in Cape Town on Monday and Tuesday, where they discussed their areas of expertise and aligned on the way forward for the 2024 season.


The camp marked the first in-person Springbok coaches meeting following the team’s World Cup triumph in France in 2023, and since the appointment of Jerry Flannery and Tony Brown as new defence and attack specialists – filling the roles vacated by the departure of Jacques Nienaber and Felix Jones to Ireland and England respectively – and former international referee Jaco Peyper as the team’s national laws advisor.

The invited group of players will join the camp on Tuesday evening, where they will participate in a string of boardroom sessions until Thursday.

The focus of the alignment camp will be to expose the players to the demands of Springbok rugby, the key areas for the coaches in the national system, and what the coaches will be looking for from the players when they select the squad for the international season.

Erasmus was thrilled about welcoming the players to the first of three alignment camps before the opening Test and said: “As a coaching team we have a good idea of what we’d like to do this season and we are excited to present our key pillars to this group of players.

“This is a solid group of players, and these camps will be invaluable in putting the groundwork in place – not only for this season but also to set the tone in terms of where we’d like to take our game going forward.

“The sport is progressing at a rapid rate, and we must grow as a team to remain at the forefront of where rugby is moving. We made it clear last year that what we did in 2019 would not be enough to defend our title at the 2023 World Cup, and the same concept applies after last year’s international spectacle.”

The back-to-back world champions will kick off the season on Saturday, 22 June against Wales at Twickenham before returning to South Africa for the Incoming Series, which features a two-Test series against Ireland on 6 and 13 July in Pretoria and Durban respectively, and a historic Test against Portugal in Bloemfontein on 20 July.

This will be followed by the  Rugby Championship in August and September which will see the team play two away Tests against Australia, successive home Tests against New Zealand in Johannesburg and Cape Town, a trip to Argentina, and a home Test against the Pumas in Nelspruit.

“It was fantastic to have the coaches and Jaco in the same room and to share our ideas with an eye on the 2024 season,” said Erasmus.

“We’ve had several online meetings in the last few months, but the human element is always great, and this camp allowed everyone to get to know one another in a personal and professional manner.”

Erasmus added: “We are pleased with the foundation laid before we kick off the player sessions on Wednesday, and it’s great to see the enthusiasm among the coaches to get the season underway.

Photo: Steve Haag/Gallo Images

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