Investing with a Tangible Goal – The Rassie Erasmus Playbook

By Tom Barlow | Founder of Candour Investments

“A goal without a plan is just a wish.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

There’s a lot to learn from the glorious green-and-gold fairytale of South Africa’s rise back to rugby greatness. When Rassie Erasmus took the reins as head coach of the Springboks, South African rugby was at a low ebb. Morale was low, consistency was lacking, and hope and pride were things we watched other nations enjoy. 

But within a few short years, the Boks weren’t just back on the map – they were world champions. Twice.

How?

Not by wishing. Not by hoping. And not by shouting “We must win the World Cup!”. The turnaround began with something deceptively simple: a tangible goal.

Not a wonderful wish. Not a vague hope. But a clear objective.

It’s no different a path than every good investment journey needs.

The Myth of “Good Performance”

In my 30+ years of being in the field of investing, I’ve seen many an investor with a request that sounds impressive but is, in reality, somewhat vague:

• Retire comfortably at 65 without concern for lifestyle dip?
• Pay for all your grandchildren’s tertiary education?
• Leave behind a financial legacy that won’t vanish in taxes?

It’s a bit like a rugby team saying: “We want to win more matches.” Well… yes. Obviously. That’s hardly unique. But much more importantly, what is your specific return required every year to allow you to take the action required above? 

This is a tangible goal. It’s the investment equivalent of saying, “We want to win the World Cup in four years’ time – and here’s how we’re going to do it.”

Rassie’s Investment Strategy

Let’s look at what Erasmus actually did::

1. Set the clear objective: Win the World Cup.
   
2. Analyse where others failed: They didn’t have squad depth which left them vulnerable to injuries breaking momentum.
   
3. Mitigate the risk: He built not just a team, but a system of 30+ players who could rotate, rest, and step in seamlessly while simultaneously winning enough games to keep the fans engaged and hence the advertising revenue rolling in.
   
4. Stick to the plan: Even when things got hairy, they didn’t ditch the game plan for short-term gain.

This is exactly what smart investing looks like:

• Define the investment objective.
  Identify your unique challenges: income uncertainty, tax burdens, future expenses, asset size and flexibility. Then model them to determine your unique required annual return – and that’s a specific percentage!
• Use your specific percentage when analysing your options and combine these options to give you the best chance to achieve this return.

Your Investment “Coach” Matters

Like winning a World Cup, smart investing isn’t simple. It isn’t just about having a technical spreadsheet or a robo-advisor. It’s also about having someone in your corner who knows what matters most to you – and keeps it in focus when markets (and emotions) wobble.

A coach who knows:

• How to build depth into your portfolio with a varied squad of asset classes.
• When to guide you out of the emotional chaos and back into the realm of clear thinking.
• To remind you that volatility is not failure, it’s a reality of life.

Investing isn’t about perfection. It’s about positioning. Rassie’s team didn’t win because they never struggled – they won because they expected the struggles and were physically, mentally and emotionally prepared for them.

The Danger of Greedy Goals

Let’s look at the flip side of the Boks Glory Story: Manchester United.

Once famed for their dominance, the club has fallen into years of turmoil, largely because it’s been chasing an ideal rather than a realistic objective. Just because it wanted “top five finishes” and instant silverware, didn’t mean it could get it. Through an ongoing painful experience of the reality that not every year can be a trophy year, fans (and yes, I am one) will be forced to stop grumbling, leadership will stop firing coaches and hopefully, sanity will prevail by the adoption of a long-term, realistic goal and therefore an implementable plan.

Because talent needs time. Cohesion needs time. Systems take time.

And so does enduring wealth.

Play the Long Game – With Eyes Wide Open

Too many investors set off with no map and a limiting belief that “more is more”. They chase returns like fans chase the next striker – hoping someone will arrive and save the season.

But sustainable wealth is never built on a lick and a prayer. It’s built on clarity, patience, planning, and consistency – and then sealed with trust in the people and processes guiding you.

So, I leave you to ponder this: 

What’s your version of ‘winning the World Cup’?

And have you built the kind of ‘squad’ – strategy, discipline, mindset and advisor — that sets you up for your version of victory?

Because in the end, a goal without a plan is just a wish.
And no team — in sport or finance — wins on wishes alone.