Rassie Erasmus
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Rassie Erasmus is the current coach of the Central Cheetahs rugby franchise in South Africa. He was born on November 5, 1972, in Despatch, South Africa. Erasmus played for the Free State Cheetahs as well as the Golden Lions in the Currie Cup, and played for the Cats in the Super 12, and captained them. He also played for the national team of South Africa, the Springboks, captaining them on one occasion as well.
Erasmus started his professional rugby career with the Free State in the Currie Cup. By 1997 he had been called up for national duties with the Springboks, and made his debut on July 5 against the British and Irish Lions in Johannesburg, which the home side won, 35-16. In his next match for the Springboks, on August 23 that season, he played the Wallabies, starting at flank, ans scoring one try for South Africa in only his second match, which the Boks went onto to win 61-22 in Pretoria. In November he played another four games for the Boks, scoring tries against Italy and the French as well.
Erasmus had firmly established himself as a starting flanker for the Boks by the time the international season had come about in 1998. He played three tests prior to the beginning of the Tri Nations that year, playing Ireland twice, and Wales once, scoring a try in two games. He played in three Tri Nations games that year, in the wins over the Wallabies and All Blacks. He earned another four international caps at the end of the year, playing each of the home nations teams.
In 1999 Erasmus moved to the Golden Lions in the Currie Cup. That season, after being capped three times prior to the Tri Nations, he skippered the side in the match against the Wallabies in Brisbane, though the Boks lost 6-32. After the Tri Nations he was off the 1999 Rugby World Cup, where he played five matches for the Boks.
He was capped six times the following season, and after the Currie Cup, he moved back to the Free State Cheetahs for the 2001 season. He played two games for the Boks in 2001, both against France. The Boks lost the first, but won the second, 20-15 in what was Erasmus' last game for the Boks, in Durban. When the Central Cheetahs were accepted into the Super 14, Erasmus became their first ever coach in 2006.
With the Springboks falling to five losses in a row, some media sources speculated that Erasmus had been sounded out to take over from Jake White, or at least become involved in some form. Erasmus has thus far denied that he ever received a call from SA Rugby.[1]
