Next Springbok coach and captain: We make our picks

The Springboks have been blessed to enjoy a double World Cup-winning era with legendary coach Rassie Erasmus and iconic captain Siya Kolisi leading the team through a period of remarkable success.

When the 2027 World Cup rolls around, Erasmus will have been at the helm of the Springboks for nearly a decade, but it’s likely that he will then hand over the reins after overseeing a third RWC campaign.

Meanwhile, Kolisi has made it clear that he is determined to make it through to the next World Cup, before almost certainly then heading into international retirement and the next phase of his life and career as he will be 35-years-old at that point.

With these two massive ‘departures’ in mind, some succession planning will soon need to take place, but the good news is the likelihood that SA Rugby and the Springboks won’t need to look too far in order to find the next leaders in line.

Who could take over as Springbok coach and captain after 2027?

Coach: Mzwandile Stick

The affable assistant coach, who has worked with Erasmus for the last few years, is our unequivocal pick.

As it stands, there could be strong candidates in contention such as Johann van Graan or Franco Smith, who are achieving great success overseas, while perhaps domestic coaches such as John Dobson or Jake White could be considered.

However, Stick would surely be a natural successor, with the 40-year-old having grown immeasurably as a coach over the last few years, going from strength to strength in terms of his overall contribution to the team.  

The 40-year-old was once viewed as the scapegoat during the initial unsuccessful Allister Coetzee tenure, but under the guidance of Erasmus he has been a key member of the management team.

Stick is an extremely popular figure with the players, but he is also a man of strong convictions, capable of cracking the whip when necessary, while he is familiar with the system, culture and nuances of the Springbok team and South African rugby.

Captain: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu

This is a decision that is not going to be an easy one, especially considering that other captaincy candidates such as Handre Pollard, Eben Etzebeth, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Lukhanyo Am and Bongi Mbonambi will all be around their mid-30s after the next World Cup.

As a changing of the guard takes place, the Springboks will need a new leader to take the team forward, and talented Feinberg-Mngomezulu appears to have all the capabilities to do just that.

Erasmus has already admitted that the former SA U20 skipper shows ‘captaincy material’, and it’s likely that he will mature as both a person and a player over the next few years with the Springboks.

Feinberg-Mngomezulu will be 25-years-old after the next World Cup, and although he would still be pretty young to take on the captaincy responsibility, it would be an appointment with the potential for longevity – and not all that dissimilar to when Kolisi first became captain at the age of 26.

DO YOU AGREE WITH THESE SELECTIONS?

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