Rassie Erasmus has officially taken up his new position as director of rugby, but will not be directly involved with any national team until next year.

Erasmus has been joined at SA Rugby’s headquarters by former Springbok assistant coach and high-performance manager Jacques Nienaber, who also makes his return to South Africa after a stint with Munster.

Apart from overseeing SA Rugby’s eight national teams, Erasmus will also manage the development of players, coaches and referees.

‘It’s a pleasure to welcome back Rassie and Jacques into the SA Rugby family and we know they’ll add real value to our rugby department and the development of the game in South Africa,’ SA Rugby CEO Jurie Roux said.

‘They have more than 25 years’ worth of coaching experience between them and will be a great asset to our game here on many different levels.’

Roux said that the pair would spend the rest of the year planning for the 2018 season.