Don’t mind the noise, Rassie — rugby needs characters

With one not-so-subtle post on X confirming that attack guru Tony Brown won’t be leaving the Springboks anytime soon, Rassie Erasmus has ignited a fiery debate.

Rather than issuing a bland statement or allowing stories on Brown’s future to dictate the discourse, Erasmus took to X on Saturday. In his typical fashion, he got his point across with a sense of humour that rugby could probably use a bit more of.

Following the sacking of Scott Robertson, the rumour mill went into overdrive.

As quickly as “Razor sacked” began to trend, Brown was linked to South Africa’s fiercest rivals. Whispers from New Zealand suggested he could be drawn into an All Blacks set-up, possibly alongside Jamie Joseph as part of a revival plan heading towards the 2027 Rugby World Cup.

Brown has been a key part of the Springbok coaching group, and uncertainty around his future was always going to spark debate. Well, that was until the Bok head coach entered the conversation online.

His response on X was swift and straight to the point: An AI-generated video showed Brown’s face superimposed onto Leonardo DiCaprio in The Wolf of Wall Street, delivering the famous line: “I’m not f***ing leaving.” Was it a bit crude? Perhaps. But was it effective? Absolutely.

The post also reminded everyone that Erasmus is not afraid to have a bit of fun. That is what sets him apart from other coaches currently.

The reaction to his X post, however, was telling.

Locally, many laughed and applauded the confidence behind it, with Bok supporters thanking Erasmus for swiftly shutting down the repatriation of Brown. However, in New Zealand, criticism came quickly, with some calling it unnecessary or disrespectful in the wake of Robertson's sacking. Erasmus was also called “childish” by a well-known Kiwi pundit.

But that divide illustrates a bigger picture: rugby seems comfortable celebrating personality on the field, yet scoffs at it off the field, especially concerning Erasmus.

Look at the hype-figure in England that is almost spoken about more than their current unbeaten run of 11 matches.

The fiery Henry Pollock, praised for his edge, his antics and willingness to ruffle feathers during matches by being vocal and celebrating every small win to the point of annoyance. That is labelled as “passion” and “box office”. Yet, when Erasmus shakes up the rugby world off the pitch with some of his tongue-in-cheek posts, it suddenly becomes a problem and is scoffed at. It is a curious double standard.

Critics and supporters must remember that the day Erasmus, as Springboks coach, stops posting on X is the day the rugby world loses a chunk of its colour and becomes a much blander place for it.