Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has been selected as the Daily Maverick Person of the Year for 2025, recognized for his transformative leadership and the team's outstanding achievements.
Rassie Erasmus, the Springboks' head coach, has been honored as the Daily Maverick Person of the Year for 2025. This accolade highlights his role in redefining leadership in sports, emphasizing empathy, accountability, and nation-building over mere victories.
Under Erasmus's guidance, the Springboks maintained their position as the world's No 1-ranked team for the third consecutive season. They secured the Rugby Championship for the second year running, marking the first retention of this southern hemisphere title. The team also held onto the Freedom Cup against New Zealand and the Nelson Mandela Challenge Plate versus Australia.
Key highlights included a record 43-10 victory over New Zealand in Wellington, the All Blacks' heaviest Test defeat. The Boks triumphed in all five matches of their November tour across Europe and Britain, snapped a 13-year drought against Ireland, and ended with 12 wins from 14 Tests—an 86% success rate. They scored a record 81 tries in those games, averaging 5.8 per match.
Individual stars shone too: Malcolm Marx earned World Rugby Men’s 15s Player of the Year, with Ox Nché and Pieter-Steph du Toit shortlisted. Young flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu set a Bok record with 37 points against Argentina in Durban. Across 14 Tests, 49 players featured, as the team evolved its attack while leveraging power plays.
Erasmus's vision extends beyond the field. Since 2018, he has pushed for a Springboks side that mirrors South Africa's diverse society, drawing talent from townships to elite schools. His approach fosters collective input from assistants, channels ego productively, and demands high standards without toxicity. He has extended his contract through 2031, committed to ongoing excellence and national inspiration.
As the article notes, "Erasmus has probably done more for nation-building and making South Africans feel good about themselves and the country than any politician or entertainer in decades." The Boks symbolize South Africa's potential through planning and hard work.
