Rassie Erasmus, a well-known South African rugby union coach, and former player, led the national side of South Africa from 2018 until the conclusion of their World Cup campaign in 2019.
Rassie won the 2019 Rugby World Cup and the 2019 World Rugby Coach of the Year title while playing for South Africa.
The former rugby player represented the Free State, the Golden Lions, the Cats, and the Stormers, earning 36 caps for South Africa between 1997 and 2001, including participation in the 1999 Rugby World Cup.
Rassie served as a coach for the Free State Cheetahs, Western Province, and the South African national side at various times.
How Did The South African Coach Fare?
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The South African coach has lately gained attention for his tweets urging Springboks supporters to stop insulting Wayne Barn and for receiving threats in response to how he handled last Saturday’s loss to France.
The rugby director made a statement about Rassie’s players needing to perform better after he tweeted a series of videos from the match.
The Rugby Football Union protested his social media statements about the officiating of Wayne Barnes, and as a result, South Africa Rugby is under increasing pressure to take action against the former player. He has received threats of death.
The RFU expressed its ire in a letter to its South African colleagues this week, detailing how Barnes, who was in charge of his 100th Test match last Saturday in France’s tight victory over South Africa, had been threatened online and that his family had also been singled out.
Is Rassie Erasmus Sick or Ill?
Due to health issues, Rassie Erasmus skipped the Castle Lager Springbok Showdown.
The rugby director was given microscopic polyangiitis with granulomatosis diagnosis in 2019.
In contrast, he kept his sickness a secret before and during Japan’s Rugby World Cup campaign.
The former athlete may have had mental stress after the crucial tweets problem.
The RFU wants the Springboks director of rugby to remove his tweets, which include multiple recordings of events followed by sarcastic notes since they are said to be worried about the mental toll Erasmus’ comments may have on officials (Berry disclosed the immense pressure he was placed under last year).
Rassie wrote on social media that he didn’t mean to incite Barnes’ South African admirers to troll him online. Nevertheless, a barrage of criticism was unavoidably generated by his large social media following.
Update on Rassie Erasmus’s health
As of 2023, the South African rugby industry is robust.
He was identified as having an uncommon illness in 2018 that results in inflammation of blood vessels throughout the body, particularly those in the neck and lungs, making him more susceptible to the effects of a potential COVID-19 infection.
However, a well-known rugby executive added, speaking under the current condition of anonymity, “We are sick of it. He has gone too far; it must end now.
Following that match in Marseille on November 17, the former rugby player’s social media rants resulted in a two-match suspension from World Rugby.
The British & Irish Lion’s visit to South Africa in 2021 resulted in the South African director of rugby receiving a 12-month suspension from match-day activities for his hour-long film and forensic critique of the Australian referee Nic Berry.
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