As one of the biggest sports, Rugby is incredibly popular in many countries worldwide, including South Africa. People love watching the best players in action, and they often get a lot of attention. That said, some fans forget that these players are led by a coach who is equally as important as they are.
Behind every great team and exceptional achievement is a world-class coach. This person’s vision and strategies help the team reach the results it wants, so it is time to go on a journey with Efirbet South Africa and take a look at some of the best rugby coaches of all time. Unsurprisingly, half of them come from South Africa, one of the best rugby countries out there.
Rassie Erasmus
The first name on the list of the world’s best rugby coaches goes to Johan Erasmus, also known as Rassie. The 52-year-old South African is the Springboks’ current head coach (this is his second run in this position). Considering his impressive achievement, it is no surprise that many people consider him the greatest player of all time.
Speaking of the achievements, Rassie Erasmus was one of the main reasons why South Africa won the Rugby World Cup 2 times (in 2019 and 2023). After achieving these impressive results, he was named the World Rugby Coach of the Year in 2019.
Aside from helping South Africa’s National team, Erasmus also worked with other clubs. He was a part of the Western Province and the Free State Cheetahs, Stormers, Munster, and Barbarians. Despite that, most people always associate him with the Springboks and the impressive results that the team achieved during his leadership.
Kitch Christie
When talking about legendary South African rugby coaches, Kitch Christie is one of the first options that comes to mind. He was the Springboks’ head coach between 1994 and 1996 and led the country to its first Rugby World Cup trophy. This happened in 1995, and it’s safe to say it was a defining moment in post-apartheid unity.
Under Kitch Christie, the Springboks won 14 out of 14 tests. He was famous for his disciplined play style and the team’s strong leadership in the face of Francois Pienaar.
Christie’s success is legendary because it came during a time when Nelson Mandela was South Africa’s president. Considering what happened in the years before that, everyone can agree that this coach will go down in history.
Steve Hansen
South Africa may be one of the best rugby countries in the world, but the same is true for New Zealand. The Blacks have many impressive results over the years, and some of them became possible because of Sir Stephen William Hansen, also known as Steve Hansen.
The 65-year-old rugby coach is one of the biggest names in the sport. Under his leadership and tactics, New Zealand won the 2015 Rugby World Cup, and Hansen became one of the biggest names in this sport.
Speaking of the New Zealand national team, Steve Hansen was in charge between 2012 and 2019. Before that, he was the coach of Canterbury and Wales. Interestingly, he was also an assistant coach for the Crusaders (between 1999 and 2001) and New Zealand (2004-2011). In other words, he has been involved in his country’s national rugby team for 15 years.
While he was NZ’s assistant coach, the country also won the Rugby World Cup in 2011, so it’s safe to say he has the same achievements as Rassie Erasmus, at least when it comes to World Cup trophies.
Jake White
Number four on the list of the greatest rugby coaches of all time is another South African. Jacob Charles White, also known as Jake White, is another living legend in the sport. He coached South Africa’s national team between 2004 and 2007 and won the Tri Nations in 2004 and the 2007 Rugby World Cup.
Alongside his impressive results with the Springboks, he also coached South Africa’s under-21 team. In 2022, Jake White helped the team win the U-21 World Cup. Considering these achievements, it is no surprise that he is a part of the World Rugby Hall of Fame.
Besides coaching South Africa’s national team, Jakie White helped many other teams over the years. He was a part of the Brumbies, Sharks, Montpellier, and Toyota Verblitz. Currently, he is the coach of the Bulls and has been in this position since 2020.
Nick Mallett
Nick Mallett is another big name in the world of South African rugby that will go down in history. He was the head coach between 1997 and 2000 and is famous for having the longest Springbok winning streak (17 tests).
Even though South Africa did not win a World Cup while playing under him, the country secured a record for the most consecutive wins. The team also did well during the 1999 Rugby World Cup, when it reached the semi-finals.
Mallett’s style focused on discipline and physical dominance, but it also had attacking flair. During his time with the Springboks, the country “discovered” several interesting players, such as Andre Joubert, Joost van der Westhuizen, Gary Teichmann, and others.
Graham Henry
Another world-class rugby coach that all fans are interested in is Sir Graham William Henry. The 78-year-old coach from New Zealand has an impressive history because he has coached various top teams over the years.
Between 2004 and 2011, he was NZ’s coach and helped the team win the 2011 Rugby World Cup. A few years earlier, however, he was involved in controversy following the All Backs’ loss in the 2007 Quarter-Final. After spending several years with his home country, he stepped down in 2011 after 140 matches, 1 World Cup trophy, and 5 Tri Nations titles.
Apart from his impressive achievements with New Zealand’s rugby team, Graham Henry also coached Wales between 1998 and 2002. He also helped Auckland, Auckland Blue, and the British and Irish Lions. Henry has also been an assistant coach in Argentina, a consultant in Leinster, and since 2018, he is an assistant coach for Auckland.
Sir Clive Woodward
Aside from South Africa and New Zealand, England is another country that is famous for having a world-class rugby team. The latter has had many top-tier coaches over the years, including Sir Clive Ronald Woodward. He was in charge of England’s rugby team between 1997 and 2004 and helped the country win the 2003 Rugby World Cup.
Before taking over England’s rugby team, Woodward coached several other teams, such as Henley. He was also a part of London Irish, Bath, and England’s U21 team. His last coaching endeavor was in 2005, when he tried helping the British & Irish Lions.
Sir Clive Woodward is currently working as a pundit for ITV Sports. Since 2011, Woodward has been added to the IRB Hall of Fame.
Eddie Jones
Edward Jones (also known as Eddie) is among Australia’s most popular rugby names. He was the country’s national rugby union coach (until late 2023) and also coached England and Japan before that. In fact, following his most recent time with Australia, Eddie moved back to Japan and became the country’s head coach.
An intriguing fact about him is that he took Australia to the 2023 RWC Final. Moreover, he led Japan to victory against South Africa in 2015, when the Springboks were among the best in the world. During his time in England, Eddie helped the country reach the 2019 RWC Final.
Eddie is famous for being a tactical innovator and adapting to different types of rugby systems. It’s safe to say the 65-year-old will go down in history as one of the greatest.
Sir Ian McGeechan
The next name that we believe should be on the list is Sir Ian McGeechan. He has had an impressive career as a coach, starting in 1986 and ending in 2012. During that time, he coached many teams, including Scotland. A very interesting fact about the coach is that while he was playing, McGeechan worked as a teacher.
Most people will remember Sir Ian McGeechan for his results with the Scottish team. Thanks to him, Scotland won the Grand Slam in the 1990 Five Nations Championship. He also won the Premiership Rugby & the European Cup with the London Wasps in 2008 and 2007.
Nowadays, the 78-year-old helps Doncaster Knights because he is the Director of Rugby there.
Warren Gatland
Warren David Gatland is a famous rugby union player from New Zealand who also used to coach the Wales national team. During his time as the country’s coach (between 2007 and 2019), he helped Wales secure multiple Six Nations titles and Grand Slams.
Outside of the national team, Gatland also coached the British & Irish Lions on several tours. While he was playing, Gatland was one of Waikato’s longest-serving players and took part in 140 games for the province. His coaching career began in 1989, when he coached Galwegians RFC. Aside from that, he was also a part of Connacht, London Wasps, Ireland, Chiefs, and more.
Joe Schmidt
The 59-year-old Joe Schmidt is among the most popular rugby coaches to come from New Zealand. Although he coached several teams over the years (including Australia), most people will remember him for his time with Ireland. He was in charge of the team between 2013 and 2019 and helped Ireland win three Six Nations Championships, as well as a Grand Slam. In fact, Ireland even reached Number 1 in the World Rugby Ranking in 2019.
Following his departure from Ireland, Schmidt helped New Zealand, where he was the attack coach.
Heyneke Meyer
South African rugby enthusiasts will never forget the name Heyneke Meyer. He was the country’s head coach between 2012 and 2015 and is famous for the 2015 Rugby World Cup bronze medals.
During his time, the Springboks won 34 out of 50 tests and defeated all of their big rivals like England, Australia, and New Zealand. In fact, the squad was among the big favorites to win the Rugby World Cup, but it “only” secured the bronze medals.
An interesting fact about Meyer is that his play style was very conservative. In fact, many rugby fans criticized him at the time for focusing too much on older players and the fact that he relied on kicking. Despite the controversy, no one can deny that Heyneke Meyer helped the Springboks become one of the most dominant forces in rugby at the time.
Michael Cheika
Australian rugby fans know the name Michael Cheika because he was the country’s former coach. Between 2014 and 2019, Cheika helped Australia achieve impressive results, such as the 2015 Rugby World Cup final. Another interesting fact is that he’s the only rugby coach to win a major club competition in each hemisphere.
Outside of Australia’s national team, Michael Cheika has coached various other teams. His career began with Petrarca Padova, followed by Randwick, Leinster, Stade Français, and so on. Nowadays, he coaches Leicester Tigers.
Another interesting fact about Cheika is that he had an important role in Argentina’s rugby team. He helped the country a lot and “revitalized it” for the 2023 RWC.
Fabien Galthié
France is one of the forces to be reckoned with in the world of rugby, and Fabien Galthié has a big role in it. He is the current head coach of the French national team and is responsible for the country’s new generation of talent. Before his arrival, France was a mere shadow of its former glory, but he helped restore flair and discipline and made France a serious World Cup contender.
Prior to taking over France in 2019, he coached several other clubs, such as Stade Français, Montpellier, and Toulon.
Jacques Nienaber
Last but definitely not least, we have one of South Africa’s legendary rugby coaches – Jacques Nienaber. He was the Springboks’ head coach between 2020 and 2023 and will go down in history for winning the 2023 Rugby World Cup. Considering he was Erasmus’s assistant, he continued his vision and helped the team achieve impressive results.
Jacques Nienaber will go down in history for his brilliant defensive tactics, especially in tight matches. Many people often call him “the quiet general” because he always lets the players shine while he plots behind the scenes.
Closing Thoughts
It’s safe to say that all of the rugby coaches here are living legends and will go down in history. They all have the talent to turn the rugby odds in their favor and have helped numerous teams over the years achieve some of their best results. Some of them have more experience than others, but all of them are popular in the world of rugby (and outside of it). We are confident that many of them will be responsible for even more future success stories.
