Rassie Erasmus will make history on Saturday when he coaches the Springboks for a record-breaking 55th time as head coach, surpassing any coach since South Africa’s first test match in 1891.

The milestone comes across two spells in charge, from 2018 to 2019 and 2024 to the present day, overtaking the previous record of 54 tests set by 2007 Rugby World Cup winning coach Jake White between 2004 and 2007.

Mark Alexander, president of SA Rugby, said Erasmus understood his mandate from day one and implemented a strategy that transformed the way the team plays.

“He galvanised all South Africans behind our team,” Alexander said. “He has not only transformed the team’s results, he has transformed the country’s attitude to rugby.”

Erasmus, a former Springbok loose forward, also held the title of director of rugby between his head coach roles and remained closely involved in the team’s preparation with head coach Jacques Nienaber. Saturday marks the 94th Springbok match played under his guidance since his return to the South African Rugby Union in 2018.

The government has recognised Erasmus’s contribution by conferring the Order of Ikhamanga in Gold, one of South Africa’s highest civic honours, for exceptional performance in sport.

Alexander said Erasmus has turned Springbok matches into an environment where South Africans from every demographic can come together to celebrate their identity.

“His legacy is measured not only in victories but in the unity, hope and pride he has instilled in South Africans,” Alexander said.

The Springboks have achieved a win rate of 75.93% in Erasmus’s 54 matches in charge, 13.5% better than the Springboks’ historical winning record of 62.5% when he took over.

In the past two seasons since resuming the head coach title, the winning average has risen to 85.7% with only four defeats in 28 matches.

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Rian Oberholzer, chief executive of SA Rugby, said there is no doubt that Erasmus is the greatest coach to ever lead the Springboks.

“His clarity of vision, his attention to detail, and the ability to bring disparate people and systems into alignment is extraordinary,” Oberholzer said.

The Springboks were ranked sixth in the world and had suffered a series of record defeats when Erasmus took on the job of head coach. With largely the same playing personnel, he has masterminded the winning of two Rugby World Cups and established the team at the pinnacle of the sport.

Erasmus downplayed the milestone, saying the team does not talk about individual achievements in the build-up to matches.

“It’s a nice thing to know but the most important and only thing this week is performing against a very dangerous Scotland team,” he said.

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