Jake White makes the case that the four-year World Cup cycle now fundamentally drives how coaches think about squad-building and match preparation — with lifting the Webb Ellis Cup the only metric that truly counts. The piece examines how that singular focus shapes decision-making across the entire coaching tenure, not just in World Cup year.
Jake White: Everything bends toward the World Cup
Jake White argues the World Cup cycle has become the organising principle of modern coaching — squad development, selection, and preparation all subordinated to one outcome.
- Jake White
- Rugby World Cup
Erasmus sets all-time Springbok coaching record with 55th Test in charge
Rassie Erasmus becomes the most capped head coach in Springbok history on Saturday, sending out the team for a record 55th time as head coach to surpass Jake White's previous mark of 54, with an overall win rate of 75.93% across his two spells in charge.
Erasmus to break Springbok coaching record against Scotland at Loftus
Rassie Erasmus breaks Jake White's record of 54 Tests as Springbok head coach when he leads the team against Scotland at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, with SARU's leadership hailing him as the greatest coach in Springbok history. His overall win ratio of 75.93% across two stints rises to 85.7% since resuming the head coaching role in 2024.
Erasmus breaks all-time Springbok coaching record against Scotland
Rassie Erasmus becomes the most-capped Springbok head coach in history when South Africa face Scotland in Pretoria on Saturday, his 55th Test in charge surpassing Jake White's record of 54. Across his two stints as head coach, Erasmus holds a 75.93% win rate and has overseen two Rugby World Cup victories.
Skinstad: The target on the Boks' back is exactly what they need
Skinstad argues the Boks' unprecedented 2025 schedule — Nations Championship, a four-Test All Blacks tour, and a northern hemisphere leg — is less a burden than a perfectly timed pressure-cooker ahead of France 2027, one Erasmus will use to blood and harden his next generation of trusted senior players.
Springboks v Barbarians: Every clash before Saturday's Gqeberha opener
A fixture-by-fixture breakdown of all nine Springbok-Barbarians meetings ahead of Saturday's Gqeberha opener, with the series locked at 4-4-1 and the Boks aiming to back up their 54-7 Cape Town demolition from 2024.