Before the start of the Springboks’ end-of-year tour, they invited a small army of British journalists to the Channel Island of Jersey where Rassie Erasmus conducted a charm offensive aimed at changing the Boks’ reputation as the game’s “bullies.”
It would appear that Erasmus wasted his time because he was ignominiously snubbed at the World Rugby Awards in Monaco on Sunday night where the Coach of the Year Award went to an obscure French Sevens coach.
His name is Jerome Daret and if you have never heard of him, you are not alone. His claim to fame is that he coached the French Sevens team to Olympic gold but how can this compare to a Fifteens coach that won every cup on offer and entrenched the Springboks as inarguably the world’s best team and the game’s trailblazers?
Erasmus did win the award in 2019 when he was relatively unknown but it wasn’t long before the Boks gained the reputation of the world’s most unpopular team.
The unfortunate Jacques Nienaber should have won Coach of the Year after the 2023 triumph in Paris but was snubbed and it has emerged that Nick Mallett, to his eternal credit, resigned from the judging panel in disgust. The award that year went to Ireland coach Andy Farrell, whose side was beaten by the All Blacks in the quarter-finals.
While Erasmus has every right to be aggrieved, the Boks otherwise had a fine Sunday evening capped by Pieter-Steph du Toit’s award, with Chelsin Kolbe and Eben Etzebeth finalists.
Selvyn Davids, captain of the Blitzboks, earned a spot in the Men’s Sevens Dream Team, while SA Rugby won the Rugby for All Award, which celebrates impactful initiatives that uphold rugby’s core values.
SA Rugby’s “The Bag That Builds” project was commended for promoting sustainability by repurposing tournament waste into building materials for community housing projects.
SA Rugby President Mr Mark Alexander lauded all the players for being honoured in such a remarkable year for the Boks. They registered an 85% win record after claiming the Rugby Championship title as well as the Nelson Mandela Challenge Plate, Freedom Cup, and Prince William Cup (against Wales).
“For Pieter-Steph to become the first South African to win the World Rugby Player of the Year award twice is a notable achievement, and to have seven Boks in the Dream Team is simply remarkable.
“Coach Rassie Erasmus has built something special with the Bok team and the way the players give their all week-in and week-out shows that hard work pays off.
“We are very proud of them and the entire Springbok coaching team for their tireless efforts to ensure that our players continue to shine on the international stage.
“The Rugby for All Award is a project that has been ongoing for several years and we are humbled to have made a difference to the lives of South Africans who struggle to make ends meet.”
Apart from Du Toit, only two other South Africans have walked away with the top honour – Schalk Burger in 2004, and Bryan Habana in 2007.
Erasmus added: “What makes this achievement even more significant is that we used 50 players in total this season and rotated our squad regularly, which shows the calibre of players we have. But rugby is a team sport, and it takes each one of the squad members to do their bit to place one another in positions to shine.
“With the vast player depth in our squad, I’m sure a few more players were close to being nominated, but each one of these players certainly deserves this recognition and we are very proud of them.”