Springboks attack coach Tony Brown has finally broken his silence on reports linking him with a return to New Zealand to help coach the All Blacks.

There has been fevered speculation around the 51-year-old since Scott Robertson was unexpectedly sacked as All Blacks head coach midway through his four-year deal, a decision that has sent shockwaves through New Zealand rugby.

Speaking publicly for the the first time, Brown confirmed that his contract with SA Rugby does not include a break clause that would allow him to return to New Zealand without negotiations.

While none of Robertson’s assistants have been dismissed, speculation has intensified around whether his successor may look to assemble a new coaching team. Jamie Joseph is widely viewed as the frontrunner to lead the All Blacks into the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia, and he has previously enjoyed a close working relationship with Brown.

RASSIE: Tony’s not leaving Boks

However, Brown has moved to shut down suggestions that New Zealand Rugby (NZR) could simply activate an exit clause to lure him home.

“I’m obviously contracted. I don’t have an ‘out’ of my contract, so I’m back in South Africa [until the Rugby World Cup],” Brown told The Post.

While NZR could approach SA Rugby to negotiate his release, such a move would almost certainly involve a significant compensation fee. Any potential deal would also depend on Brown’s willingness to leave his current role, where he has become a valued member of Rassie Erasmus’ back-to-back world champion Springbok coaching staff.

For now, Brown says there has been no contact from NZR.

“Everything’s just speculation. I’m not even sure what New Zealand Rugby’s plans are. No one’s really heard anything,” he added.

Brown also admitted he was stunned by the decision to part ways with Robertson, who guided the All Blacks to 20 wins in 27 Tests — a 74% win rate — after leaving the Crusaders, where he won seven Super Rugby titles.

“I’m very surprised. I didn’t think they would do that, especially with no one waiting to take over,” Brown said.

“[It’s] definitely not going to be easy for them, especially without a CEO and a high-performance manager. There are a lot of things they need to sort out pretty quickly.”

“All the [Springbok] coaches have been chatting on group chats, and everyone’s pretty surprised and amazed by what’s been happening.”

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