Rassie Erasmus not sure Siya Kolisi will retain South Africa captaincy

South Africa head coach Rassie Erasmus admitted that double World Cup winning skipper Siya Kolisi might not be retained as captain.

Erasmus has decided to resign from his position as director of rugby in order to take on the role of head coach for the Springboks as they prepare for the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia. He has suggested that certain veteran players may gradually be replaced in the coming seasons.

Also Kolisi has made a move to French club Racing 92 which he joined in 2023 after representing Stormers and Sharks in the past.

"Siya is playing some of his best rugby, but I prefer to have my captain locally-based as that allows for more interaction," said Erasmus.

"This is a unique situation and I think he [Kolisi] will play some Test matches, he certainly wants to, but we are not sure about the captaincy."

Erasmus himself played a huge role in South Africa winning back to back World Cups in 2019 and 2023. Despite his stupendous success with the Boks, he admitted that the challenge of moving to a transitional phase with the team.

"In 2018 we had a roadmap for the players and we said: 'Where will this guy be in 2019, 2023 and 2027?' We know exactly which players can only last another year, and we have given them the task to help the youngsters before they leave.

"But it is a challenge to tell a player: 'Okay, you must stop now.' We have guys in their 30s who believe they can win another World Cup.

"Building a squad means giving young guys an opportunity and making sure we always improve on depth," he added.

"By doing that you will lose a few Test matches, but then we will have the answers when we get to the World Cup.

"I would rather win the World Cup than sit at an 85 per cent win rate in between."