World Rugby to address Rassie Erasmus rant via ‘official channels’

Sign up to our free sport newsletter for all the latest news on everything from cycling to boxing Sign up to our free sport email for all the latest news Sign up to our free sport email for all the latest news SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Rassie Erasmus has offered to stand down from South Africa’s series against the British and Irish Lions after posting online an hour-long video in which he launches an unprecedented attack on referee Nic Berry. South Africa’s director of rugby is addressing World Rugby’s head of referees Joel Jutge and director of rugby Joe Schmidt during the video, in which he says he is willing to quit for the second and third matches of the series. But Berry, who is replaced by Ben O’Keeffe for the second Test but will still run the touchline, is the real target as Erasmus highlights a host of perceived inconsistencies and rails at the length of time it took to receive officiating feedback from World Rugby. “We definitely felt that the way things unfolded on the field, didn’t benefit us by staying quiet,” said Erasmus, the mastermind of South Africa’s 2019 World Cup triumph, who revealed that the video was filmed on Tuesday.