Rassie+

Rassie Erasmus sits down with the South African backbone of the Springbok support staff. After meeting the Foreign Legion, it's time to meet the local heroes: the men who grew up in townships, jumped fences to play rugby, took trains to interviews, and in one case spent a year in prison for fighting apartheid. From operations to logistics to match day chaos, these are the people who make sure the Springboks actually get on the field. All on the Rassie + Podcast 00:00 Intro and cold open00:43 What is this episode about?01:11 Rassie introduces the South African support staff01:53 "You guys finished the Foreign Legion, now it's the locals"02:54 Growing up in Joburg, jumping fences to play rugby03:41 Craven Week, first time on a plane, and six hard boiled eggs05:11 Under 19 Junior World Cup in Lyon05:40 The 500 rand a month contract06:27 From player to operations and why it matters07:05 Only 950 Springboks in history07:59 Born in East London, moved to Joburg, fell in love with rugby10:03 1995 and the World Cup that changed everything11:07 Coaching in Soweto and realizing "I'm not that great"12:41 Waiting nine years for the Springbok opportunity14:03 Careers in rugby beyond playing15:30 "The players are nothing without the support staff"16:20 Growing up in Graaff-Reinet, where rugby was the only option17:50 The Swallows and playing under apartheid's nonracial rugby19:27 Teaching history, economics, and languages20:22 The struggle, gangsterism, and different walks of life21:18 Detained in 1986 and a year in prison for the cause22:18 Running from town to town, a wife holding the family together22:46 Moving into rugby administration through trial and error24:15 Answering a newspaper ad for a driver25:39 "The best job of my life"27:17 JJ's World Cup 2011 call up as a last minute stand in30:00 The upside down Springbok logo on the scrum machine33:05 "Mindset change" and faking it under pressure35:11 Nobody has all the answers, even the coaches36:36 The stress players don't see37:25 Waking up at 2am to check if the radios are charged38:39 The relief when you finally get the result39:33 Visa disasters and arriving in France without valid papers40:46 Long term planning and building embassy relationships41:46 Rassie doesn't pick the team alone42:30 The 2019 World Cup final and the last unused substitute43:41 Blood substitutions, clear communication, and hard words44:04 The water carrier incident and buying time with a laptop45:17 Missing warmup jerseys at the 2019 World Cup in Japan46:12 Finding love inside SA Rugby47:20 "Next episode we'll talk about the traditional wedding"

Rassie Erasmus sits down with his coaching team for the first time ever on camera. Meet Andy Edwards, Gerry Flannery, Tony Brown, and Felix Jones, the group known inside camp as "The Foreign Legion." An Englishman, two Irishmen, and a New Zealander who left everything behind to help build the most dominant Springbok era in history. From random WhatsApp calls during Covid lockdown to winning back to back World Cups, this is the story of how trust, alignment, and authenticity created something special.Brought to you by Castle Lager.00:00 What is Plus?01:53 Meet Andy Edwards, from north London to Cape Town03:18 The Saracens and Munster rivalry04:18 The Covid WhatsApp call that changed everything05:36 Gerry Flannery, from Limerick pubs to Springbok defense07:19 Going back to Munster after Arsenal09:10 The Flannery family bar empire11:15 Tony Brown, from deep south New Zealand to Japan13:05 Coaching Japan at two World Cups14:52 Why diverse coaching backgrounds matter18:59 Felix Jones, Dublin to Munster to the Springboks22:20 How Rassie recruited Felix over a laptop in a hotel25:36 The reality of player coaching29:48 Job insecurity in professional coaching36:19 Why players are your biggest CV39:10 The Foreign Legion and camp culture43:18 AI in rugby and why Rassie is skeptical46:13 Building a high performance system from scratch49:15 Arrogance, creativity, and leadership53:16 Alignment: the one thing that breeds success57:37 The hardest part of coaching, being yourself59:19 Authenticity over everything

In Episode 3 of A Rassie+ Special: The Shape of the Game, Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus and his coaching team focus on one of rugby union’s most unique and misunderstood contests: the maul.They unpack why rugby shouldn’t “fix” the game by changing its fundamentals — and why scrums and mauls must remain protected contests, not replaced by shortcuts like free kicks.A major focus of this episode is the growing grey area around maul defence — particularly the difference between pushing, pulling, and dragging, and how unclear interpretation creates confusion for:• referees trying to make decisions in real time• fans trying to understand what’s legal• coaches trying to build a fair contestThe episode also explores referee pressure, the role of the TMO, and why rugby must prioritise accuracy, fairness and safety before spectacle.

In Episode 2 of A Rassie+ Special on the Shape of the Game, Rassie Erasmus and his coaching staff discuss the power of choice in rugby — and why managing the contest is at the heart of the sport.From scrums, mauls and breakdowns to kicking battles and selection strategy, this episode explores how rugby stays rugby when teams are free to play different styles — while still being governed by fairness, safety and contest.

In Episode 1 of A Rassie+ Special: The Shape of the Game, Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus sits down with his coaching team to unpack one of the most important — and misunderstood — documents in rugby: the World Rugby Charter.

As proposed law changes spark global debate, this episode explores what truly defines rugby union: contest, fairness, safety, and a game for all shapes and sizes. From aerial contests and scrums to refereeing pressure and player welfare, the discussion asks a critical question — are we protecting rugby’s identity, or slowly eroding it?This is not about telling fans what to think. It’s about informing the rugby public, sparking healthy debate, and understanding how the laws should serve the game — not redefine it.

🎙️ Episode 1 of a 3-part Rassie+ A Shape of The Game series.

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