The announcement that Springbok assistant coach Tony Brown will return to New Zealand after the 2027 Rugby World Cup was always one that was expected, but still one that will leave Springbok rugby fans feeling a bit disappointed.
Brown has been a revelation since joining up with Rassie Erasmus, and has his sights firmly set on winning the 2027 World Cup with the Boks, but has never made it a secret that he wants to coach in New Zealand at some stage in his career.
There were murmurings that he may want to return when Jamie Joseph was considered for the All Blacks job, but confirmed at the time he would see out his contract until after the World Cup.
Even when Dave Rennie was confirmed as the All Black coach, those close to the Bok camp knew that Brown was probably on his way back at some stage. And so it has now been confirmed, and the timing of the announcement, while not perfect, is at least before the start of the international season.
There have already been those who believe that the timing is to strike some sort of psychological blow against the Boks ahead of the Greatest Rivalry series, so that Brown’s departure lives rent-free in the Springbok minds. But that is rather unlikely, even though it will fuel the podcast talk for some time.
Brown has been a consummate professional since joining the Boks. He has been the missing link in a lot of ways for the younger Boks coming through - providing that key insight that has shown a side that has always been more forward-based to come out of their shell.
While it has always been thought that Rennie’s appointment would mean Brown may stay on with the Boks, that seems to have been overcome, although the certainty of what exactly his role will be in New Zealand waits to be seen.
CONFIDENT MAKING THIS MOVE
“Dave's been engaged in this process all the way through, he's really supportive of this recruitment regardless of whether he's the head coach or not after 2027. What we do know though, again from dialogue with other coaches, with previous head coaches, with potential head coaches is that everybody would have Tony Brown in their team so we're really confident making this move now,” NZ Rugby CEO Steve Lancaster said in a press conference earlier on Monday morning.
Seeing as Mike Blair has been appointed Dave Rennie’s attack coach, Lancaster was asked about where Brown will fit in, and he gave a coy answer: “The portfolio that Tony will hold will be a question for the head coach at the time.”
Make of that what you will. Asked what had changed, as Brown had been linked to Joseph in the past and not Rennie, Lancaster said the opportunity was right to secure Brown’s services.
“Again, probably a question for Tony, but I don't see that anything has changed. He's been very clear with us, and in fact with South Africa, that his intention and his ambition is to come back and coach the All Blacks at some point in time. We've got an opportunity to secure him now and give him that certainty and us, and that's exactly what we've done.”
While it may come as a shock to Bok fans, the likelihood is that this has been on the cards for some time. Brown would have played open cards with the Boks and Erasmus would have accepted that while he may have wanted to keep Brown on for longer, coaching in the modern era will always see departures, given the intensity of the job.
“We are grateful to Tony for his commitment, loyalty and honesty throughout his time with us,” said SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer.
“He has made a tremendous contribution to the Springboks and to SA Rugby as a whole since joining us, and we have no doubt that he will continue to give everything he has to help the team maintain the high standards we set for ourselves on the field.”
Erasmus was equally pleased for Brown, saying: “Tony has made a remarkable difference, both on and off the field, and he has always been upfront with us about wanting to be closer to his family and about the All Blacks holding a special place in his heart, and we are genuinely delighted for him.
“We’ve made the mistake in the past of negotiating contracts in a RWC year, and this clarity will allow us all to go full steam ahead with our preparations for this and next season.”
That last bit probably confirms that the Boks had known of Brown’s decision for some time, and the announcement wasn’t exactly a surprise.
In his words, Brown expressed his gratitude to Erasmus and SA Rugby for the opportunity and was emphatic about where his focus lies for the foreseeable future.
“My contract with New Zealand Rugby only begins in 2028, so there is still a long road ahead before that comes into play,” said Brown. “Right now, I am fully committed to the Springboks. What we are building and trying to achieve as a team over the next two years is my only focus.”
So that is it. Brown stays until after the World Cup and is committed, and the Boks get the best out of him until then.
What comes next is anyone’s guess, but with Erasmus contracted until 2031, you can guess he will have a plan up his sleeve.