Rugby World Cup-winning coach and South African director of rugby, Johan “Rassie” Erasmus, is to be awarded an honorary doctorate by the North-West University (NWU). The NWU Council approved the decision during their ordinary meeting on Thursday, 16 November 2023. The request for the awarding of the degree Philosophiae Doctor (Honoris Causa), in the discipline Coaching Science, was made by the NWU’s Faculty of Health Sciences.
The honorary doctorate will be bestowed on Erasmus in recognition of his innovative and exceptional management of the Springboks during their victorious 2019 and 2023 IRB World Cup campaigns, his significant standing in the international rugby coaching arena, his strong drive and focus on diversity and inclusion, and his commitment to social responsibility