Rugby in 2024 and beyond

First, a reflection. In fact, let’s go back to where it all started. 1995, when no one gave South Africa even the finest of chances to win a rugby match let alone a World Cup. And they certainly laid their mark by winning their opening match against then current world champions, Australia. I believe THAT laid the mark for this nation to achieve anything they dream of. Fast forward to 2007 (because NO ONE wants to be reminded of that awful defeat to Australia in the Semi Final of RWC 1999 or that horrendous 29 - 9 defeat to New Zealand in the Quarter Final of RWC 2003 - or maybe the only thing that comes to mind of that year is “Kamp Staaldraad”) and ever since Jake White took over from Harry Viljoen, everyone was thrilled. He started fresh. Yes, there were some “outoppies” in the squad (John Smit, Victor Matfield, Bakkies Botha, Os du Randt - who came out of reitrement - to name a few)  but most of them were in their early/late 20’s. With the youngest player in the team being only 20 years old - Frans Steyn. Jake White really did something special with that group. 2011, and it was a new dawn for South African Rugby with the appointment of Peter de Villiers. Unfortunately for De Villiers, he sat with quite a matured squad with most of those youngsters now being senior players, and the guys, who were marked as the “senior guys” during Jake White’s tenure, now nearing the end of their careers. Despite this, Peter de Villiers decided not to blood any newcomers and rather use the squad he had. He didn’t do too bad, they won the Tri Nations series beating New Zealand three times in one year, as well as winning the British & Irish Lions series 2 - 1. Unfortunately, it all came down when they lost to Australia with a score of 9 - 11 in the RWC Quarter Final in 2011. And then, it was the turn of Heyneke Meyer. He also used most of the guys that did duty at the last World Cup but brought in a few new guys. Unluckily for Heyneke, though, there wasn’t much to be thrilled about as his tenure came to a crashing end as they were beaten by eventual World Cup champions, New Zealand. In 2016, it was the turn of Allister Coetzee who brought along a brand-new coaching team with the likes of Mzwandile Stick, Deon Davids and Matt Proudfoot all making their international coaching debuts. His 2-year reign was filled with record defeats. First ever losses to Argentina and Italy. Record defeats to New Zealand and a massive loss to Ireland by 38 - 3 in Dublin in November 2017. That was the end of his time as Springboks coach. In 2018 SA Rugby announced a new Director of Rugby in Rassie Erasmus who also took over as head coach from Allister Coetzee. In his first match in charge he (Rassie) awarded 13 new players with their first caps with the idea to groom players in the Springboks environment and award them enough caps and game time with only 18 months to go until RWC 2019 (in Japan). Together, Ras-Naber (Jacques Nienaber and Rassie Erasmus) implemented a new defence system which they had used at Munster. Since then, they have been unstoppable having won a Rugby Championship, 2 World Cups and a British & Irish Lions series win taking the Boks from 7th in the World (2017) to number 1 in 2019 and again in 2022 and 2023. Now, in 2024, a few months after that famous 4th World Cup title, the Boks will be looking to build on with several players who might call it quits before the next showpiece in Australia 2027. So, it’s a bit of déja vu for Rassie as he has to rebuild again before the next World Cup only this time without his right-hand man Jacques Nienaber who has taken up a head coaching role at Irish club Leinster as his family still lives in Ireland. Chances are that Rassie might also call it quits before the next world cup as his contract expires in 2025. This begs the question: whoever is in charge of the Boks after Rassie Erasmus, will have to try to keep the systems set in place by Jacques and Rassie. Whether it can be done, only time will tell.