Johannesburg (AFP)
Former South African coach Rassie Erasmus, who led the Springboks to world rugby champion in 2019, suffered from a severe form of a rare autoimmune disease, media reports said on Wednesday. local.
Erasmus, 47, suffered from microscopic polyangiitis with granulomatosis, a disease that can affect different organs, such as the kidneys or the lungs, as well as the sinuses and trachea.
"Rassie was treated for a serious condition in 2019 and recovered from it," said a spokesman for the South African Rugby Federation.
If the disease is not cancerous, the breeder suffered from a rare form that could potentially be fatal, according to his doctor Johan Theron.
The South African media report said Erasmus needed chemotherapy before and during the World Cup in Japan, which lasted 44 days for the Springboks.
Erasmus had decided to hide his illness from his team, crowned world champion after his victory against England (32-12) on November 2 in Japan.
The former Boks' third line, François Louw, one of the few who knew about it according to the local press, said that Erasmus showed no signs of serious illness during the tournament.
"When I remember his job before and during the World Cup, you could never have said that something was wrong," said Louw, now retired.
"Rassie is the type of person who does not want everyone to talk about him (...) he seeks neither sympathy nor empathy. Only his close circle is aware of his condition," he added.
Erasmus, 36 selections with the Springboks as a player, then trained two South African franchises and then Munster, before taking the reins of the selection until January.
Erasmus was replaced as coach by compatriot Jacques Nienaber but remained national director of South African rugby.
© 2020 AFP