Rassie Erasmus will set a new record for Springbok Test matches as head coach when he leads the team out against Scotland at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, surpassing Jake White's mark of 54 Tests set between 2004 and 2007.
The Nations Championship fixture will be Erasmus's 55th match in charge across his two stints — the first running from 2018 to 2019, the second from 2024 to the present — and his 94th Springbok match overall when including his period as director of rugby alongside Jacques Nienaber.
SARU president Mark Alexander and chief executive Rian Oberholzer were unequivocal in their assessment of Erasmus's standing. "There is no doubt that Rassie is the greatest coach to ever lead the Springboks and he will rank highly in conversations about the greatest coach to ever take charge of a national team from any country," said Oberholzer. "The Springboks were ranked sixth in the world and had suffered a series of record defeats when he took on the job. With largely the same playing personnel he has masterminded the winning of two Rugby World Cups and established the team at the very pinnacle of the sport."
The numbers support the assessment. Erasmus's overall win ratio across his 54 Tests in charge stands at 75.93%, compared to the Springboks' historical winning record of 62.5% when he first took over — a margin of 13.5%. Since resuming the head coaching role, that figure has climbed further to 85.7% across 28 matches, with only four defeats.
Alexander credited Erasmus with a broader cultural impact beyond results. "He has not only transformed the team's results, he has transformed the country's attitude to rugby," he said. "He has turned Springbok matches into an environment where South Africans from every demographic can come together to celebrate their South African-ness."
Erasmus, who earned 36 Test caps as a loose forward between 1997 and 2001, was awarded the Order of Ikhamanga in Gold for his contribution to sport. He downplayed the record milestone ahead of Saturday's clash with Scotland.