Springbok attack coach Tony Brown has reacted to reports linking him with a return to New Zealand to help coach the All Blacks.
There has been fevered speculation around the 51-year-old since Scott Robertson was unexpectedly sacked as All Blacks head coach midway through his four-year deal, a decision that has sent shockwaves through New Zealand rugby.
While none of Robertson’s assistants have been dismissed, speculation has intensified around whether his successor may look to assemble a new coaching team. Jamie Joseph is widely viewed as the frontrunner to lead the All Blacks into the 2027 World Cup in Australia, and he has previously enjoyed a close working relationship with Brown.
However, Brown has moved to shut down suggestions that NZ Rugby could simply activate an exit clause to lure him home.
“I’m obviously contracted. I don’t have an ‘out’ of my contract, so I’m back in South Africa [until the World Cup],” Brown told the Post.
While NZ Rugby could approach SA Rugby to negotiate his release, such a move would almost certainly involve a significant compensation fee. Any potential deal would also depend on Brown’s willingness to leave his current role, where he has become a valued member of Rassie Erasmus’ Springbok coaching staff.
For now, Brown says there has been no contact from NZ Rugby.
Everything’s just speculation. I’m not even sure what NZ Rugby’s plans are. No one’s really heard anything,” he added.
Brown also admitted he was “very surprised” by the decision to part ways with Robertson, who guided the All Blacks to 20 wins in 27 Tests — a 74% win rate – after leaving the Crusaders, where he won five full Super Rugby titles and two Super Rugby Aotearoa titles.
“I didn’t think they would do that, especially with no one waiting to take over,” Brown added.
“[It’s] definitely not going to be easy for them, especially without a CEO and a high-performance manager. There are a lot of things they need to sort out pretty quickly.”
“All the [Springbok] coaches have been chatting on group chats, and everyone’s pretty surprised and amazed by what’s been happening.”
