Rassie not dismissing future England role but not sure fans would welcome him

Rassie Erasmus is not sure if England rugby fans would want him as their head coach, but he hasn't entirely dismissed the idea. 

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Erasmus is currently the SA Rugby director of rugby, but the man who coached the Springboks to World Cup glory in 2019 and oversaw a 2-1 series win over the British & Irish Lions in 2019, will understandably be in high demand. 

He was previously linked to the England job in 2020, when Afrikaans newspaper Rapport cited two sources who claimed that while Erasmus was on a long-term contract with SA Rugby, there was a clause that could have allowed him to walk away earlier if he came to an agreement with the English RFU. 

In an interview with the Daily Mail, Erasmus discussed a wide range of topics, including the global calendar shake-up and his future in the game. 

When proved on whether he would consider coaching England in future, he didn't rule out the prospect. 

"I don't think the English people would ever want me there now. Maybe I am wrong. I hope I am wrong. Would I coach another country? If my own people were cool with it and the other country's people were cool with it then why not?" he said. 

Erasmus made headlines last year when a 62-minute video of him criticising the officiating during the Lions series was leaked to the media and went viral. 

Erasmus was later charged by World Rugby and banned from attending any matches for a year for his public criticism. 

He fears that may have made him too unpopular among northern hemisphere rugby fans. 

"But if my own people are going to hate me for it, then I would never do it (coach England)," he added. "I hate the fact that so many people hate me in rugby right now. I'm not a confrontational