Rassie Erasmus: "I Used to See the Media as the Enemy"

Rassie Erasmus sits down with three of South Africa's most experienced rugby journalists, Percival Young, Simnikiwe Xabanisa, and Louis de Villiers, for a conversation that's never happened on camera before.From a time when Rapport was the Bible of Springbok rugby and coaches feared every headline, to the "Stronger Together" philosophy that changed how the Boks work with the media, Rassie opens up about what he got wrong early in his career, why he banned journalists from Stormers training sessions, and what finally made the light go on before the 2019 World Cup. The journalists fire back with touring war stories, the ethics of scoops, how clickbait culture is killing real sports writing, and why the questions no one is brave enough to ask produce the best stories.Brought to you by Castle Lager. #DlalaCastle0:00 Cold open: "I really saw the media as the enemy"1:06 Rassie introduces the concept and the guests2:52 Percy's story: Athlone, Wheels Rugby Club, and choosing journalism over playing4:59 Simnikiwe's story: from Bisho to News24, learning rugby from scratch at a model-C school6:49 Louis de Villiers introduction8:19 When Rapport was the Bible: how newspapers formed everyone's opinions9:46 Rassie on authenticity in journalism: "You say it as you saw it"11:13 Rassie arrives in Cape Town and gets overwhelmed by the media11:35 "We drafted a protocol: no media at training." Rassie admits the mistake12:03 Percy's first scoop: Rassie accidentally leaks his assistant coach appointment13:49 "The headline was big, racy, front page." Percy's career takes off15:05 First time at Newlands: sitting pitchside, smelling the grass, hearing the boots16:13 How do scoops actually work? The inside mechanics of rugby journalism19:10 When journalists used to go for beers with players20:41 Touring war stories: the Dublin bar fight, lost luggage in France, and 45 CDs in Marseille26:39 Scoops vs. storytelling: the tension between breaking news and good writing28:54 Clickbait culture: "I write 1500 words and the new jersey gets ten times the clicks"31:15 Why players hate clickbait headlines with nothing behind them32:57 Rapport as the Bible of Afrikaans rugby: how parents ran to the shops every Sunday34:18 How journalism shifted from print to online to social media34:58 Percy's press conference philosophy: find the human side first36:10 Vocal Louw and the question about losing his father36:30 "Sometimes you ask the questions no one is brave enough to ask"38:56 Stronger Together: readers are your real employer40:57 What coaches handle that fans never see: personal crises, selection, and trust42:39 Why Rassie sometimes can't explain why a player wasn't picked44:31 Touring with the Springboks: the fire alarm in Swansea48:32 Run-ins with coaches: Harry Viljoen screams in the hotel lift50:09 "Peter de Villiers was probably the right coach for that team at that time"53:10 When a leaked injury story broke trust, and Rassie apologised54:59 Bob Skinstad's debut as captain and the line that followed him for years57:59 Springbok tattoos: "The artist wasn't great. It doesn't look like a springbok."59:07 Percy's career shift: from tabloid journalism to broadcasting at eNCA59:28 The 2019 turning point: "I had to change my way of thinking around the media"1:01:34 Building a culture of honesty between the Boks and the press1:03:06 Why Rassie announces the team on Monday, not Thursday. It's not mind games.1:06:28 How social media changed everything: why Rassie got on it in the first place1:08:50 Social media grew the game from 7 million to 18 million fans, but it's brutal on players1:10:13 Percy: "People mocked my head shape. Now I'm sitting with the best rugby coach in the world."#Rassie+ #Springboks #RassieErasmus #SARugby #RugbyJournalism #StrongerTogether #CastleLager #DlalaCastle