Rassie+: Daily Summaries Delivered

Rassie Erasmus: "I Used to See the Media as the Enemy"

Rassie Erasmus sits down with three of South Africa's most experienced rugby journalists, Percival Young, Simnikiwe Xabanisa, and Louis de Villiers, for a conversation that's never happened on camera before.From a time when Rapport was the Bible of Springbok rugby and coaches feared every headline, to the "Stronger Together" philosophy that changed how the Boks work with the media, Rassie opens up about what he got wrong early in his career, why he banned journalists from Stormers training sessions, and what finally made the light go on before the 2019 World Cup. The journalists fire back with touring war stories, the ethics of scoops, how clickbait culture is killing real sports writing, and why the questions no one is brave enough to ask produce the best stories.Brought to you by Castle Lager. #DlalaCastle0:00 Cold open: "I really saw the media as the enemy"1:06 Rassie introduces the concept and the guests2:52 Percy's story: Athlone, Wheels Rugby Club, and choosing journalism over playing4:59 Simnikiwe's story: from Bisho to News24, learning rugby from scratch at a model-C school6:49 Louis de Villiers introduction8:19 When Rapport was the Bible: how newspapers formed everyone's opinions9:46 Rassie on authenticity in journalism: "You say it as you saw it"11:13 Rassie arrives in Cape Town and gets overwhelmed by the media11:35 "We drafted a protocol: no media at training." Rassie admits the mistake12:03 Percy's first scoop: Rassie accidentally leaks his assistant coach appointment13:49 "The headline was big, racy, front page." Percy's career takes off15:05 First time at Newlands: sitting pitchside, smelling the grass, hearing the boots16:13 How do scoops actually work? The inside mechanics of rugby journalism19:10 When journalists used to go for beers with players20:41 Touring war stories: the Dublin bar fight, lost luggage in France, and 45 CDs in Marseille26:39 Scoops vs. storytelling: the tension between breaking news and good writing28:54 Clickbait culture: "I write 1500 words and the new jersey gets ten times the clicks"31:15 Why players hate clickbait headlines with nothing behind them32:57 Rapport as the Bible of Afrikaans rugby: how parents ran to the shops every Sunday34:18 How journalism shifted from print to online to social media34:58 Percy's press conference philosophy: find the human side first36:10 Vocal

SIYA KOLISI | The Captain and The Coach

Siya Kolisi and Rassie Erasmus sit down for a conversation most coaches and captains would never have on camera.From Rassie scouting an 18 year old Siya for the Stormers, to the 2019 World Cup final, to what transformation really felt like for black players inside the system, this is raw, honest, and unlike anything you have heard from either of them before.0:00 Introduction: two South African icons, one honest conversation3:00 How Rassie and Siya first started working together5:30 Siya at 18: "naughty, raw, and he could have thrown me away"6:54 The moment Rassie came back and made Siya Springbok captain8:20 Why honesty in the team environment is a skill, not a given12:17 Favourite mistakes: "I regret all of them"19:21 What is on their minds right now: family, fatherhood, the World Cup26:33 Does Siya still love rugby after everything?31:35 Life after rugby and knowing when to walk away37:13 Social media, fan noise, and how players actually get picked44:53 Leading young players through the TikTok era49:07 "What does Rassie mean to you?" Siya answers, and it gets emotional50:29 Transformation, quotas, and what it really did to black players58:13 Why Siya does not take full credit: "I play a team sport"59:02 The pressure point system: every Springbok owns a responsibility1:03:14 Luck, bold moves, and why embarrassing someone for what they cannot control is unforgivable1:07:34 "Playing a game is not pressure. The struggles that were supposed to break you, that is pressure."1:25:23 Rassie's biggest fear: the togetherness going away when the winning stops1:31:54 What the Springboks give South Africa beyond the scoreboard1:36:49 What they hope for the future of the country1:44:59 Closing: "It is really simple. Build a strong environment where people care for each other."#Rassie+ #SiyaKolisi #RassieErasmus #SpringbokRugby #WorldCup

The Local Legion: The engine Behind the Springboks You've Never Heard Of

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"

The Foreign Legion: The Coaches behind the Springboks

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

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RASSIE+ | Too Small, Too ‘Quota’ – How Breyton Paulse Defied It All

In the season finale of Rassie+, we go deep with one of South Africa’s most electrifying wings — Breyton Paulse.Born and raised in Boland on a farm, Breyton reflects on life as a small-town kid with big dreams, breaking through the barriers of expectation in a game that wasn’t always built for him.He opens up about the emotional toll of being labelled a “quota player” — and how that word shaped conversations in South African rugby for years.From standing out as a smaller player in a game dominated by size, to his iconic flick flack celebration (with Rassie’s unexpected contribution), this episode is filled with heart, honesty, and history.🎁 Final GiveawayTo thank you for watching the season, Rassie is giving away 5 signed books to the top 5 most liked comments on this episode. ✅ Subscribe💬 Comment👍 Get those likes!