Rassie Erasmus says the Springboks already have candidates in mind to replace Tony Brown following New Zealand Rugby's announcement that Brown has signed a two-year deal to join the All Blacks coaching staff after the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
Speaking from the Springboks' training camp ahead of next week's Gqeberha double-header, Erasmus said Brown had been transparent about his ambitions from the moment he joined the Bok setup in 2024.
"People will judge Tony for wanting to go back to New Zealand, but we are really, really happy for him," Erasmus said. "To go back home and coach the All Blacks, having played for the All Blacks, you can't be angry at the guy. He has spoken openly about it from the start, saying 'I've signed a four-year deal here and if the All Blacks come, I can't say no'."
While SA Rugby had been keen to extend Brown's deal through to USA 2031, Erasmus confirmed succession planning is already underway. "We have a few guys in mind on who could replace Tony. We're happy that we still have him for two years. We still want to learn a lot from him, and we are very happy for him."
On the broader coaching staff, SA Rugby is yet to confirm contract extensions for the rest of Erasmus' backroom team following his own re-signing through to the next World Cup. Erasmus has indicated he wants the futures of his assistants resolved before year's end, explicitly citing the distraction that contract negotiations caused during a previous World Cup cycle. "We've made the mistake in the past of negotiating contracts in a RWC year, and this clarity will allow us all to go full steam ahead with our preparations for this and next season."