Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has denied rumors linking Tony Brown to the vacant All Blacks coaching job and released an AI-generated clip parodying the speculation.
Brown, currently the attacking coach of the world champion Springboks, has been widely floated as a candidate to replace Scott Robertson, who was sacked after two seasons on Thursday.
A widespread rumor was that Brown would reunite with longtime coaching partner Jamie Joseph to lead the team. The pair led the Highlanders to the Super Rugby Championship in 2015.
Erasmus appeared to put a damper on the speculation overnight, posting a doctored video on social media that featured Brown’s face and voice superimposed on a scene from the 2013 film The Wolf of Wall Street.
In the clip, Leonardo DiCaprio’s character shouts, “I’m not quitting,” and Erasmus appears to have applied this line to Brown.
Erasmus tweeted: “Today is a wonderful day!! Sleep well, Rekka.”
Brown was the driving force behind South Africa’s recent dominance, including a record win over the All Blacks in Wellington last year. He was under contract until the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
Other names linked to the role were Joe Schmidt and Dave Rennie, although Schmidt was contracted to coach the Wallabies until July.
