Tony Brown will stay with the Springboks until 2027 World Cup

New Zealand’s Tony Brown will be true and loyal to his Springboks contract of four years, which runs until the completion of the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia, writes Mark Keohane.

Brown joined Rassie Erasmus’s Springboks coaching staff as backs coach and attack coach in 2024. He has been instrumental in evolving the Springboks attack and back play. The players, senior and new introductions to the squad post the 2023 World Cup, have all endorsed Brown’s impact.

Former Springboks, most notably backs like Jean de Villiers, Percy Montgomery, Butch James and Breyton Paulse, have all raved about the impact of Brown, from a skills perspective, the educational component of space and width and a change of mindset within the squad on attack.

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Brown, who played flyhalf for the Highlanders in New Zealand and All Blacks, also had a spell at the Sharks and Stormers in Super Rugby near the latter stages of his career.

Photo: Getty Images

Brown, as a coach, has mostly aligned with Jamie Joseph, with the duo winning the 2015 Super Rugby title with the Highlanders and then taking charge of Japan. Joseph, a former All Blacks loose-forward, was head coach of Japan and Brown was the attack and assistant coach.

Japan revelled at the 2019 World Cup, which they hosted, and beat Ireland in the Pool Stages. They lost 26-3 to the Springboks in an absorbing quarter-final.

The two also have a strong history with the All Blacks Maoris, both as players and coaches.

Brown is regarded as the leading attack coach in the sport, but he has consistently expressed his joy and pleasure in working with the Springboks and being a part of the Springboks challenge to win a third successive Rugby World Cup.

Joseph and Brown did not apply for the All Blacks coaching position when the New Zealand rugby’s bosses confirmed in 2023 that they would not be renewing All Blacks coach Ian Foster’s contract beyond the conclusion of the 2023 World Cup.

Scott Robertson was appointed All Blacks coach several months before the World Cup but only started working with the squad in 2024. Robertson initially asked Brown to be a part of his coaching staff, but Brown declined the offer, citing loyalty to Joseph, and Joe Schmidt also declined working with Robertson, who had won seven successive Super Rugby titles as coach of the Crusaders.

Robertson appointed Blues coach and former Crusaders teammate Leon Macdonald as his attack coach, but the relationship broke down within two months and Macdonald left. Hurricanes head coach Jason Holland joined Robertson’s staff but also left at the end of last season to return to the Hurricanes as part of the coaching support staff.

Joseph, who coached an All Blacks XV in three successful matches on an end of year northern hemisphere tour in November 2025, is expected to replace Robertson, despite public protests from New Zealand Rugby’s Chairman David Kirk that no one coach had been earmarked to replace Robertson, whose four year contract was ended after two seasons and 20 wins in 27 matches.

Jospeh and Brown are very similar to Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber in how they have so often doubled as a coaching package.

My understanding is that Brown has committed to Erasmus and the Springboks, regardless of the situation in New Zealand rugby, and that he would only consider an All Blacks offer, should it come, post the 2027 World Cup.

My understanding is that there is no escape/out clause in Brown’s Springboks contract to accommodate a move back to New Zealand and the All Blacks pre the 2027 World Cup.

SA Rugby’s leadership, in particular Springboks coach Erasmus, don’t see it as an issue because of the commitment and reinforcement of this commitment that Brown had displayed since taking up his role with the Springboks.

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