- Sports minister celebrates Springboks World Cup win
- He shares moments in Springboks' dressing room
- Suggests new role for Russie Erasmus
WHAT HAPPENED: The South African rugby national team was recently crowned 2023 Rugby World Cup champions after defeating New Zealand in France.
The Springboks won the Webb Ellis Cup for a record fourth time, and that has sparked a conversation about the senior men's football national team who have underperformed for years now.
Now, Sports Minister Zizi Kodwa has suggested that Springboks' director of rugby, Rassie Erasmus be parachuted to Bafana Bafana to help Hugo Broos' team.
WHAT WAS SAID: "What do you do with Rassie after this? He must help us with Bafana Bafana. With Bafana Bafana, you need the culture and the mindset," Kodwa said in a video posted by Rugby 365.
"Rugby is so structured and after the England game, I was in the England dressing room with Princess Charlene.
"What happened in that dressing room made me realize how I wish I could get Bafana Bafana in the same dressing room with the Springboks... just the spirit, the culture, and commitment to the sport."
WATCH SPRINGBOKS PLAYERS' FOOTBALL SKILLS:
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Bafana mentor, Broos, meanwhile, has released a 44-man preliminary squad ahead of the 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifiers against Benin and Rwanda next month. In his side, he named Kaizer Chiefs defender Sifiso Hlanti, who used to be a regular under former mentor Stuart Baxter.
WHAT'S NEXT: Broos will then be expected to trim his large squad to 23 players as they will hold camp at the University of Pretoria's High-Performance Centre.
Bafana will then depart for Durban where they will take on Benin at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.
