Rassie Erasmus has been called a genius. He's been called reckless. All his life, he's done things differently. Now, with his trademark candour, Rassie talks openly about his adventures and misadventures at the pinnacle of world rugby, both as player and coach.
From his role in Nick Mallett's record-breaking Springbok team of the late 1990s, to the devastating injuries that cut short his playing career, to his revolutionary coaching career, Rassie is an essential window into one of the most successful figures of modern rugby.
When his teammates relaxed, Rassie preferred to watch hours of video and devise winning strategies. His coaching methods were initially laughed off – before being eagerly adopted when their success proved undeniable. He fought the rugby establishment at the Stormers, and later earned the grudging respect of Irish fans at Munster.
Most crucially, Rassie talks about his greatest contribution to South African rugby: appointing its first black captain, Siya Kolisi, without much fanfare or controversy. As his bold plans for effective racial transformation of the national team achieved immediate success, they culminated in glory at the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Here, that monumental period is recounted in vivid, insightful detail.
Entertaining and eye-opening, Rassie is full of behind-the-scenes revelations, telling the story of a towering figure in world rugby.
Rassie Erasmus is the Head Coach of the South African Rugby Union team and Director of Rugby, South Africa. Erasmus is well known for his outspoken opinions and tactical nous. Under his leadership, the Springboks won the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan, ending a 12-year championship drought. Erasmus has also had a successful coaching career at club level in both South Africa and Ireland. He was the head coach of Munster for several years, and during his tenure, the team reached two European Rugby Champions Cup finals.
As a player, he was a leading flanker for South Africa as well as for several club teams during his career, including South Africa's Free State Cheetahs and Western Province, and Munster in Ireland. He retired from playing in 2010, and since then he has dedicated himself to coaching. Rassie: Stories of Life and Rugby is his first book. The long-awaited memoir from the maverick coach of the South African rugby team. In Rassie: Stories of Life and Rugby, Rassie Erasmus dives into the intense ups and downs of his incredible life and career.
