07-05-2025
Carli Erasmus follows in father Rassie's footsteps: ‘She's also a coach and I'm very proud'
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus was seen supporting his daughter, Carli, at the Telkom Netball League in Sun City.
Carli, 20, expressed her excitement in having her father's support, noting his efforts to learn the rules of netball.
Erasmus shared his pride in Carli's sporting and coaching endeavours.
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Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus was seen supporting his daughter Carli at this past weekend's Telkom Netball League (TNL) in Sun City.
The opening week of the Telkom Netball League ended on Sunday at the Sun City Super Bowl, with the second leg set to resume on 13-17 June and the final week from 14-20 July.
The 12th edition of the TNL, netball's flagship domestic tournament, features 16 teams from all nine provinces, divided into two divisions with a promotion and relegation system.
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Erasmus' 20-year-old daughter, Carli, has been making waves on court after recently captaining the Buub Babes - a regional team in the local league - in the Winelands 10s netball series.
Carli, a solid goal-keeper and goal defence player, currently represents the Western Cape Tornados in Division 2 of the TNL.
The Western Cape Tornados have had a strong start to their season so far, winning six of the eight games.
On Saturday, the Tornados closed their opening week with a hard-fought 49-36 win against the Eastern Cape Comets in Sun City.
📈 𝐋𝐎𝐆 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 - 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝟏 #TNLisBack #TelkomNL #TNL2025 #TelkomStandTall @TelkomZA
— Netball South Africa (@Netball_SA) May 4, 2025
Last week, the Tornados had a special spectator in the stands as two-time World Cup-winning coach Erasmus came out to support his daughter in Sun City.
Carli was delighted to have the support of her father, who is seen as a national treasure in South African rugby, and she hopes the Tornados can secure promotion this season.
'It's very exciting, it's nice to have him here to support me. He doesn't really know netball so I think he's trying to understand the rules and trying to learn the game,' said Carli in a video post by Netball South Africa.
The Western Cape Tornados are aiming for promotion to Division 1 as they currently sit second on the Division 2 log, trailing North West Tshukudu by two points.
'We'd love to play ourselves up to the first division, which is our goal. So we're going to work hard, we only have two losses this first leg,' said Carli.
'In the second and third leg, we'll push hard to get there, prioritising what matters the most, do what I enjoy and sort out where we need to be as a team.'
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Erasmus, who is also SA Rugby's director of rugby, could not help but beam with pride at his daughter's pursuit of a career in sports and coaching.
Outside of her playing career, Carli is one of Stellenberg High School's netball coaches alongside twin sister, Nikki.
The 52-year-old coach admitted that although he doesn't understand all the rules of netball, he is proud of his daughter and appreciates the focused expertise in netball, distinct from rugby.
'No, I just love the fact that this is a team sport and she's got team-mates. It's the understanding of how to play in a team,' said Erasmus.
'It was a very exciting game. I was on my nerves right from the beginning until the end. Although I don't know all the rules that well, it's just exciting to watch. I'm very proud of her.
'She is also a coach and I'm very proud of her... They've realised that you can't bring a lot of rugby stuff into netball. They know their game, they've been playing it for so many years and enjoy it.'
The Springboks open their 2025 season with a friendly match against the Barbarians in Cape Town on 28 June.
Erasmus' charges will then host two Tests against Italy (5 and 12 July) and one against Georgia (19 July) before the start of the Rugby Championship in August.
