And one more well-deserved accolade to Coach Erasmus’ awards chest. Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus has become one of the latest recipients of South Africa’s Order of Ikhamanga medal, which recognizes citizens for exceptional achievements in their respective fields. Despite the well-deserved honor for his sporting accomplishments and his efforts to unify the nation, however, Erasmus is already looking to accomplish the next big goal for South African rugby — claiming another Rugby World Cup title four years from now in France.
Awarded annually by South Africa’s government, the Order Ikhamanga honors citizens who have “excellence and achievement” in various fields including sports. Rassie Erasmus gets the nod for putting South African back on the map when it comes to rugby.
Even though football is the number one sport in South Africa, when major rugby tournaments and matches come, the passion is second-to-none. Call it love, or call it football fatigue. Still, International rugby events like the upcoming 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia generate huge spikes in wagers at the best rugby betting sites ranked on Bettingtop10 South Africa, as well as non-stop media attention. For South African youth, you can find them glued to their mobile phones, trying to keep up with the latest gossip and odds.
Springbok’s Place in Rugby History
From 2019 to 2023, Erasmus led South Africa to back-to-back Rugby World Cup titles, defeating Australia in Japan and England in France. Erasmus is praised for putting together a roster capable of beating the best teams in the world but also with fostering a team culture that allowed South Africa’s traditionally disparate player pool to achieve greatness together.
While most coaches would be content to rest on their laurels after receiving such an award, Rassie Erasmus has already begun looking ahead.
“This is an award for South African rugby,” Erasmus said in a statement. “It’s for the coaches, the management, the players, and all the people that helped us achieve what we did. But now we have to keep going; we have to keep striving for excellence so that the Springboks continue to do well and make this country proud.”
That journey will take the Springboks to the 2027 Rugby World Cup hosted in Australia, where they will attempt to do what no country has ever done before by winning three straight Rugby World Cup championships.
Getting the Squad Together
Competing against the other rugby superpowers of New Zealand, France, Ireland, and England will be no easy task. Still, all four teams will already be preparing for 2027 by the time the South African squad starts its campaign in Australia. Fortunately for Erasmus and company, South African rugby already has a four-year head start on reconstruction, plus a growing pool of young talent eager to make their mark on the game.
In fact, one of Erasmus’ calling cards as head coach has been his emphasis on squad depth. Over the course of his tenure, he has rotated personnel and given young stars opportunities to shine on the international stage — many of whom will have to step up when older leaders from the past two World Cup teams no longer wear the Green and Gold.
Seizing the momentum and the intense national pride, Erasmus has revealed a “purpose and goal-driven” 40-man squad for the team’s June squad next week ahead of their second alignment camp in Cape Town.
Lions flank Sibabalwe Mahashe and youthful Sharks full-back Zekhethelo Siyaya are the two players included in the squad who haven’t been involved in the previous camp earlier in March. Players to look out for at the camp include uncapped names Paul de Villiers, Bathobele Hlekani, Francke Horn, Mahashe, Riley Norton, Haashim Pead, Siyaya, Emmanuel Tshituka, Van Wyk, and Jaco Williams. Of the players listed above, six were part of the first alignment camp back in March.
“This is an exciting group of players, and it’s been pleasing to see them start making their presence felt in the United Rugby Championship as well as their teams’ participation in the Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup,” said Erasmus.
The Springboks’ international season kicks off on 20 June against the Barbarians in Gqeberha before England, Scotland, and Wales all visit South Africa over the course of the summer.
