Rassie: The Inspirational Autobiography from South Africa’s Double World-Cup Winning Coach

Rassie Erasmus has been known as a genius. He’s been known as reckless. All his life, he’s done things otherwise. Now, together with his trademark candour, Rassie talks openly about his adventures and misadventures on the pinnacle of world rugby, both as player and coach.

From his role in Nick Mallett’s record-breaking Springbok team of the late 1990s, to the devastating injuries that cut short his playing career, to his revolutionary coaching career, Rassie is an very important window into some of the successful figures of up to date rugby.

When his teammates relaxed, Rassie preferred to look at hours of video and devise winning strategies. His coaching methods were first of all laughed off – before being eagerly adopted when their success proved undeniable. He fought the rugby establishment on the Stormers, and later earned the grudging respect of Irish fans at Munster.

Most crucially, Rassie talks about his greatest contribution to South African rugby: appointing its first black captain, Siya Kolisi, without much fanfare or controversy. As his bold plans for effective racial transformation of the national team achieved immediate success, they culminated in glory on the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Here, that monumental period is recounted in vivid, insightful detail.

Entertaining and eye-opening, Rassie is full of at the back of-the-scenes revelations, telling the story of a towering figure in world rugby.