Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus has come out to bat for Tony Brown.
Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus insists it would have been absolute folly to release Tony Brown from his contract early, after New Zealand Rugby dropped the bombshell that the attack guru is returning home in 2028.
“No, cutting Tony from our management team was never a consideration for a single second,” Erasmus emphatically stated. “Two years ago, when we discovered Tony was available, we signed him immediately and we felt incredibly lucky to secure him on a four-year deal.
“I don’t know why anyone would think we should let him go early just because he is returning home after the next World Cup. Why on earth would we want to prematurely lose out on his technical knowledge?” Erasmus asked, before answering his own question. “What Tony is delivering for us currently is invaluable. We all know the next 18 months are vital for the Springboks. He is with us for that entire block, and we are very glad about it.”
Brown will officially cross the trench to join the All Blacks’ coaching staff at the beginning of 2028 on an initial two-year contract.
