Rassie invited Bafana coach Broos to ‘spend a few days’ at Bok training

Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos says it was “exciting” to meet Rassie Erasmus and revealed his World Cup-winning Springbok counterpart invited the Belgian to attend a “few days’ training” with the national rugby team.

Erasmus posted pictures on social media last week of himself and Broos having a chat, apparently at a Castle Lager function.

The Bok coach wrote: “Not a long chat but certainly learnt a few things I will try to implement! Dankie Hugo Broos! Lekka.”

Broos was asked about the meeting as he announced his squad on Thursday for this month’s 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho at home and Benin away at the SABC studios in Auckland Park.

“It was a nice meeting. We agreed we should see each other in the future to discuss how I manage a team, how he manages a team,” the Bafana coach said.

“I was happy I met him and he invited me to — if I can and there is no Bafana game or whatever — come and see a game and even, if I can, go and spend a few days of training with them.

“So I’m excited about it.”

Erasmus has played a huge role in the Springboks’ success and broadening their appeal across races in South Africa.

He coached the Boks to victory in the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan with their first black African captain Siya Kolisi in charge.

As director of rugby, Erasmus worked closely in a combination with head coach Jacques Nienaber as the Springboks won the 2023 World Cup in France, with global superstar Kolisi again at the helm on the field. 

The Boks had been through a miserable period before Erasmus’s transformation of the team.

Broos has also had tremendous success restoring the confidence and competitiveness of long-ailing Bafana, including steering them to the bronze medal at last year’s Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, South Africa’s best finish at the tournament in 24 years.

The national football team have qualified for the next Nations Cup in Morocco in December and January.

They are enjoying one of their strongest World Cup qualification campaigns in many years, with the joint-lead in group C. Wins against Lesotho at Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane on March 21 and in the away game against Benin in Ivory Coast on March 25 would put Bafana in a strong position to reach the first 48-team World Cup in Mexico, Canada and the US.