Honorary doctorate for Rassie
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus, pictured, is to be awarded an honorary doctorate by North-West University (NWU) for his contribution to the game of rugby.
Erasmus led the Boks to World Cup glory in 2019 as head coach and four years later, in 2023, while director of rugby at SA Rugby, helped Jacques Nienaber guide the team to victory in France.
Under Erasmus, the Boks won back-to-back World Cups, in the process becoming the first team to win four World Cups – in 1995, 2007, 2019 and 2023.
The former Bok flanker just recently held the year’s first alignment camp in Cape Town where 43 players and the coaching team plotted the way forward for the world champions.
The NWU council approved the decision to award Erasmus a doctorate during its ordinary meeting in November last year.
The request for the awarding of the degree Philosophiae Doctor (Honoris Causa) in the discipline coaching science was made by the NWU’s faculty of health sciences.
“The doctorate will be bestowed on the Bok boss in recognition of his innovative and exceptional management of the Springboks during their victorious 2019 and 2023 Rugby World Cup campaigns, his significant standing in the international rugby coaching arena, his strong drive and focus on diversity and inclusion and his commitment to social responsibility,” the university said in a statement.
It said Erasmus has shown himself to be a nation builder SA can be proud of. “Rassie embodies the principles of resilience, determination and teamwork that we at the North-West University hold dear in our educational mission.
“His contributions to South Africa, both as a rugby strategist and a nation builder, serve as a shining example of what can be achieved when passion, dedication and visionary leadership come together,” said Bert Sorgdrager, council chair.
“His commitment to inclusivity and transformation in sport has not only revitalised rugby but has served as a powerful symbol of reconciliation and unity in a nation with a complex history.
“Under his guidance, the Springboks not only achieved rugby greatness, but also became a unifying force, bringing together people of all backgrounds and beliefs.”