SA Rugby Ceo Rian Oberholzer (left) with Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus and general manager of rugby Charles Wessels at a press conference earlier this week.
Image: Leighton Koopman
How World Rugby treats the Springboks is different, in a good way, than it was six years ago.
According to Rian Oberholzer, CEO of SA Rugby, it’s thanks to what head coach Rassie Erasmus and his World Cup winners have achieved over the last couple of years with their innovation around the game.
The Boks and Erasmus, in particular, have had some fallout with rugby’s international governing body, which they have done well to try and fix since before he became national coach again. Oberholzer said earlier this week that how the Boks are perceived internationally has shifted, with the decision-makers seeing the innovation of the national side and Erasmus.
“Some of the unions look up to us; that is something Rassie and them can be proud of,” according to Oberholzer.
“We went through a challenging time as an organisation, but what they have meant for the image of South African rugby on a world scale is massive. They look up to us and are in awe of what we have achieved, our player base, and our school systems. Those are the things that work but what we write very little about.
“How we are treated now (internationally) is different to what it was five or six years ago.”
According to Oberholzer, no law changes are expected for the upcoming season, as they are still working through some variations at a higher level.
“I must say, it’s sometimes difficult sitting in the (World Rugby) meetings,” Oberholzer added.
“It feels that when you become world champions, you get punished by World Rugby with specific law changes they’re talking about. No changes this season will affect the team, which we must adapt to.
“There are talks, but probably only after the 2027 Rugby World Cup will we see serious law changes again. They (World Rugby) have put it under the banner to make the game more attractive and to speed up play. That is what they are talking about now.”
One of the more recent law changes of not being able to take a scrum after a free kick is given by the referee, was brought in right after a bit of ingenuity by Bok fullback Damian Willemse during the 2023 Rugby World Cup quarter-final in France. He caught a high kick in his 22m area, called for the mark and a scrum from it. The Boks won a penalty from the set-piece to exit their half of the field.
There is also the 20-minute red card, which Oberholzer says some countries are against.
When selecting hosts for the Boks’ home Tests, the CEO said they looked to take the game to people outside the major cities.
Gqeberha's Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium and the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit will host Italy and Georgia, respectively. Loftus Versfeld (Pretoria), Cape Town Stadium, Ellis Park (Johannesburg), and Kings Park (Durban) will be the venues for the other home Tests.
“It was an easy decision to make about the host venues,” he added.
“Various things are considered (for the hosting); obviously, we need to make money from Test matches. So, you pick the venues that can host a large number of supporters. But, we also look at the experience (of fans).
“That is why the Test in Mbombela is so successful, and we are hoping the same for Gqeberha. We try to keep the tradition as strong as possible, but we also look to introduce the Springboks to a different set of supporters that (normally) can’t travel to the main areas.”