Rassie Erasmus focuses on Rugby World Cup 2027 prep as Springboks plan 2026 balance

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus says his biggest challenge in 2026 will be getting the balance right between maintaining winning momentum and ensuring his top players are relatively fresh for the 2027 World Cup.

The Bok boss hinted that he is prepared to make a few sacrifices next year in terms of the relentless need to win every game, so that the Boks are in the best possible condition for the World Cup.

Erasmus used boxing parlance to describe the challenge that 2026 presents. He said the team may need to take a few uppercuts, so that some players do not end the year punch-drunk.

It will be fascinating to see how Erasmus tackles a year in which the Boks contest the inaugural Nations Cup, with games against England, Scotland, and Wales preceding the much-hyped Greatest Rivalry tour by the All Blacks, which includes four Test matches. The Boks conclude a tough 2026 with November matches against Italy, Ireland, and France.

“We have to think very carefully about next year, and we have to get the balance absolutely right,” Erasmus told a media conference on Thursday.

“We’ve got two massive competitions to play next year. I don’t think we’ll take any game lightly, but I think we will be willing to take a few shots and maybe an uppercut here and say, ‘okay, guys, we roll the dice there’.

“You don’t want to be punch-drunk next year in November and December, with a World Cup the following year. You want to make sure you have players who you can pick for 2027 who can win the World Cup.”

Erasmus intimated that the Boks might limit their ambitions in the Nations Cup in order to prioritise the World Cup.

“Would you rather, in a year before the World Cup, lift the Nations Cup trophy, or be ready for the World Cup? That’s a difficult thing to handle.

“The World Cup is only 18 months out – we have to start focusing on it now.”

The Boks are early favourites for the World Cup, but Erasmus said he is not concerned about predictions more than 650 days from the tournament.

“We are trying to build our team to be really competitive in 2027, so you can lose that favourite tag very quickly if you have a bad year before the World Cup.”

Those words indicate that Erasmus will continue his policy of rotation, giving newer players as many caps as possible so they reach a bracket of 20 or more before Australia 2027.

“We hope to carry our 2025 form through 2026, but I don’t think tags – favourites or underdogs – bother us at this time. When we get into the tournament, it might. Or we might not even be favourites then.

“What matters is what you do at the World Cup. Nobody looks back at what happened the year before, and nobody really looks at who played in the semi-finals or even who lost in the final. The only team that is remembered is the team that wins the gold medal.”