Claims of nepotism on social media by malicious commenters were rightfully shut down.
The claims emerged after Stormers hooker Andre Hugo Venter, who is dating Erasmus' daughter, was called up to a training camp.
No one in the know would support such a claim.
Nepotism claims against Rassie Erasmus are frivolous
Venter has done more than enough in the United Rugby Championship to warrant joining camp.
This was pointed out by Planet Rugby writer Jared Wright. I wrote this on X: “I feel sorry for Andre Hugo Venter, because if he is called up to the national team, there will definitely be complaints of nepotism.
“But he's actually a great player and deserves a call-up.
“He is a comfortable addition to the next generation of Bokhookers.”
Also read: Springboks face Wales at Twickenham in unusual June test
Lineout feed motivates Springboks' call-up of Andre Hugo Venter
Venter is one of the most consistent hookers when it comes to feeding into the lineout.
Having a steady hand feeding the lineouts in camp will only help the Springboks' cause.
There are concerns surrounding the South African hooker at the lineout as the set-pieces do not pay dividends as the team would like.
That was a problem area for Venter's Stormers team-mate Josef Dweba, and a major stumbling block for the dynamic front-runner who was making his breakthrough with the Springboks.
URC Top 100 Verification
The URC Top 100 Player Ranking includes only two South African hookers. Venter and Grobbelaar.
A dynamic player ranking system that combines recent performances from the United Rugby Championship, EPCR competitions and across international rugby.
Venter is statistically the Stormers' best hooker due to his accuracy with lineout feeds and excellent scrum work from across the pack.
Andre Hugo Venter is not yet Malcolm Marx
Venter has improved as a ball carrier, but as a relatively tall hooker, he hasn't been able to do the jacking job expected of a number two.
Having players like Malcolm Marx and Bongi Mbonambi around Venter in camp can only help his all-round game.
Venter has benefited greatly from the increased exposure of the URC and Champions Cup, playing against the likes of Dan Sheehan and Augustin Creevey.
Claims of nepotism are baseless
Venter, in the face of reality, claims to have been something of a nepotist.
Venter's performance at URC speaks for itself.
To claim nepotism is to deliberately ignore what is happening on the pitch.
Venter is a player to watch and the Stormers will provide a great platform for him to further showcase his skills before he gets a chance to win a Springbok cap.
