Rassie Erasmus has explained on Saturday night in an interview with SuperSport that he will not be coaching the Springboks after next year’s World Cup.
The Director of Rugby at the South African Rugby Union revealed on the weekend that he will stay on in that position for the remainder of his six-year contract.
But the national team will get a new boss once they return from duty in Japan next September.
Erasmus explains: “It [my contract] is a six-year contract as Director of Rugby, not as head coach. I am only head coach until the World Cup next year.”
Erasmus says when he signed as Director of Rugby, he was under the impression that former coach Allister Coetzee will still be the mentor of the national team.
MISUNDERSTANDING: Allister Coetzee. Photo: RYAN WILKISKY/BACKPAGEPIX
The former Springbok flanker adds: “When I was appointed as Director of Rugby at that stage I thought Allister Coetzee was still continuing [in his job as head coach].
“The leadership [then] decided for Allister to step down, and they asked me to take the job.
“For somebody from the outside to all of a sudden have just 14-18 Test matches to prepare the team for the World Cup, I didn’t think that would be fair to that coach - it would’ve been a suicide job.
“And for myself, who’s been in the position before [as Director of Rugby], it made sense to ask me.”