Tony Brown breaks silence on Springbok job: ‘I don’t have an out of my contract’
Tony Brown has confirmed his commitment to the Springboks, dismissing rumours of a return to New Zealand due to contractual obligations until the 2027 Rugby World Cup. Picture: BackpagePix
Image: Backpagepix
Following Rassie Erasmus’s cheeky social media post saying Springbok assistant coach Tony Brown is not going anywhere, the New Zealander has confirmed it himself.
Last week Scott Robertson was fired as All Blacks coach, and the unexpected turn was that Brown was linked with a possible move back to his homeland.
Jamie Joseph is the top candidate to take over as head coach of the All Blacks according to reports.
This is significant because it was reported that only Erasmus has signed a new contract with the Springboks, and not his assistants. Brown, though, sought to throw cold water over the rumours.
Tony Brown’s Future with the Springboks: Contractual Obligations and Speculation
“I’m obviously contracted. I don’t have an ‘out’ of my contract, so I’m back in South Africa [until the Rugby World Cup],” Brown told The Post.
“Everything’s just speculation. I’m not even sure what New Zealand Rugby’s plans are. No one’s really heard anything.”
It means that Brown is certainly not going anywhere until after the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
In December when Saru made the announcement about Erasmus, it also said: “An announcement on the contract negotiations with other members of the Springbok coaching team will be made in due course.”
It’s for this reason that this week Brown’s future has been a hot topic of discussion.
In a panel discussion on The Breakdown, another former All Blacks number 10, Jeff Wilson, made the link between Brown and Joseph: “It would be hard to believe Jamie’s not the guy they’ve targeted,” Wilson said.
“And they’ll be hoping they can lure Tony Brown back from the Springboks. I’d be surprised if Tony hadn’t left a door open.”
Given the latest comments by Brown, that isn’t the case.