Director of rugby and Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus is recovering in hospital after a “freak accident” involving “powerful detergent product”.
This was revealed by SA Rugby on Saturday.
“Rassie Erasmus, SA Rugby’s director of rugby, is recovering in hospital following a medical procedure for chemical burns sustained in a freak accident using a powerful detergent product. He is otherwise in good health and expects to return to full-time working within weeks,” SA Rugby said in a statement.
Erasmus last year was part of the technical team that saw the Springboks successfully defend their Rugby World Cup title in France.
Following Jacques Nienaber’s decision to vacate his position and move to Munster in Ireland, SA Rugby announced Erasmus would return to his role as head coach of the team.
He was the head coach when they won the World Cup in 2019 in Japan.
The world champions will kick off their season when they face Ireland in two Tests in July. In that month, they will also take on Portugal for the first time ever. That game will be played in Bloemfontein, as announced by SA Rugby on Friday.
The Springboks will then face New Zealand in the Rugby Championship in two Tests in Johannesburg and Cape Town on August 31 and September 7, before taking on Argentina in Nelspruit on September 28.
The Springboks’ home Test schedule for 2024:
Saturday, 6 July: South Africa vs Ireland (Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria)
Saturday, 13 July: South Africa vs Ireland (Kings Park, Durban)
Saturday, 20 July: South Aafrica vs Portugal (Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein)
Saturday, 31 August: South Africa vs New Zealand (Ellis Park, Johannesburg)
Saturday, 7 September: South Africa vs New Zealand (Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town)
Saturday, 28 September: South Africa vs Argentina (Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit
IOL Sport