There’s Been An Arrival And A Departure At Munster Rugby Today

Munster Rugby and the IRFU have today confirmed that Johan ‘Rassie’ Erasmus has been appointed Director of Rugby on a three year deal, commencing on July 1st.

The 43-year-old who hails from South Africa and won 36 caps for the Springboks is currently General Manager High Performance of South African rugby, a position he has held since 2012.

Commenting on his appointment Rassie Erasmus said,

“It is a huge honour to have been appointed by Munster Rugby in the newly created role of Director of Rugby.

“It is an opportunity which comes with a huge responsibility not only to the club who has a proud 137-year history, but also the supporters and the wider community.

“It is a challenge which I humbly accepted but with a clear desire to use all my past experience as a player, coach and administrative High Performance manager, to make Munster Rugby one of the top rugby clubs in Europe.

“I would also like to thank my colleagues at SA Rugby, and specifically the CEO, Jurie Roux, for affording me the opportunity to serve in the role of General Manager for the High Performance over the last 4 years. It was truly an honour to work in an environment where innovation and pushing the boundaries of acceptable norms were encouraged.

I have learnt a great deal from my experiences in the last 5 years and trust that the organisation under its current leadership will achieve great things on and off the field.

“The decision was ultimately a personal one which I made with my family in what we believe is the right time and without a doubt the best Club to experience something different as part of our personal goals we have set.”

On the departure front, skills, defence and kicking trainer Ian Costello has accepted an offer to become Nottingham Rugby’s head coach.

Erasmus’ arrival could see more departures in the coming weeks, with the South African expected to bring in his own backroom team.