Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus and his assistants have come out strongly in support of World Rugby’s tightened approach to the aerial contest, despite growing criticism from Europe.
The Bok coaching team insists the adjustment to how kicks are contested has improved both player safety and the fairness of the game
World Rugby moved in 2024 to clamp down on so-called “escort” or “glove” tactics, outlawing the blocking of chasers around a receiver in the air.
While the change has been criticised by figures such as England coach Steve Borthwick, Ireland forward Tadhg Beirne and Munster assistant Mike Prendergast, the Bok coaching group believes the sport is better for it.
Speaking on a new podcast Rassie+: The Shape of the Game, Erasmus said the key issue was restoring a genuine contest.
“When that ball is kicked, it’s nobody’s ball. He’s got a fair chance, I’ve got a fair chance – that’s the contest,” Erasmus explained. “No one can interfere anymore, and that’s exactly what World Rugby wants.”
Bok assistant coach and aerial contest specialist Mzwandile Stick believes the law’s re-application has also significantly reduced danger.
“I haven’t seen any dangerous contests in the past two years,” Stick said. “I watch thousands of kicks, and usually the danger came from third parties – the people around the contest area. The law change has cleaned that up.”
Stick added that escorts had created unsafe scenarios.
“As a chaser, you don’t see what’s happening on the ground, and at the last moment you’re blocked while already jumping. That’s where players landed badly. In the past two years, you haven’t seen those incidents.”
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The Bok coaches repeatedly referenced World Rugby’s charter, which stresses that “the contest for possession of the ball is one of rugby’s key features”. Stick argued that escorts were fundamentally against that principle.
“The moment there are blockers, they unfairly take away the contest from the other team,” he said.
While critics claim the change promotes more kicking, Stick sees it differently.
“The beauty of the kicking game is not the kick, but what happens after the contest. Now there are no defensive structures, no reference points.”
Assistant coach Felix Jones agreed.
“Two or three years ago, it was one-phase rugby – kick, glove, no contest,” he said. “That was boring. Now there’s a guaranteed contest, and it breaks the game open.”
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Former Test referee Jaco Peyper, who was part of the podcast, clarified that escorts were never legal.
“This wasn’t a new law, but a re-application. Escorts were offside,” he said.
Photo: Morgan Hancock/Getty Images
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