South Africa Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has named a formidable 39-man squad for the upcoming Castle Lager Incoming Series, which kicks off with two challenging Tests against Ireland on Saturday, 6 July.
The series will be followed by a one-off Test against Portugal. The squad includes nine players who were unavailable for the recent Wales Test and features four uncapped players.
The uncapped players named in the squad are Johan Grobbelaar and Jan-Hendrik Wessels of the Vodacom Bulls, Phepsi Buthelezi from the Hollywoodbets Sharks, and Morne van den Berg of the Emirates Lions.
Returning from injury are Cheslin Kolbe (wing) and Lukhanyo Am (centre), who have been rehabilitating under the supervision of the Bok medical team.
Also included are Handre Pollard (flyhalf) and Jasper Wiese, who trained with the team but were ineligible for selection for the Wales Test due to it falling outside the international window.
Wiese will be available once he completes his suspension for a dangerous tackle.
Rugby World Cup winners Siya Kolisi, the 2019 and 2023 Rugby World Cup-winning captain, and RG Snyman (lock) have also been called up. They joined the squad in London following their club commitments.
Additionally, Marco van Staden (flanker), Kurt-Lee Arendse (utility back), and Willie le Roux (fullback), who concluded their Vodacom United Rugby Championship season with the Vodacom Bulls in the final against the Glasgow Warriors, are part of the squad.
Three players who made their Test debuts against Wales, which the Springboks won 41-13, are included: Edwill van der Merwe (wing), Ben-Jason Dixon (utility forward), and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (utility back).
The 39-man squad is composed of 22 forwards and 17 backs, with Erasmus set to name the captain closer to the Ireland Test.
Erasmus acknowledged that three players—Faf de Klerk (quadriceps), Van der Merwe (shoulder), and Makazole Mapimpi (hamstring)—picked up niggles in the Wales Test.
However, he expressed confidence in the squad’s depth, with Arendse, Kolbe, and Am available for selection.
The coach also announced a 14-player standby list, including six capped Springboks: Jean-Luc du Preez (loose forward), Joseph Dweba (hooker), Jordan Hendrikse (flyhalf), Elrigh Louw (No 8), and props Wilco Louw and Nuthuko Mchunu.
Six of these players—Neethling Fouche (prop), Mchunu, Andre-Hugo Venter (hooker), Hendrikse, Ethan Hooker (utility back), and Quan Horn (fullback)—were part of the Bok traveling squad to London.
They will train with the team over the next four weeks and may be called up in case of injuries during the Ireland Tests.
Erasmus highlighted the importance of building squad depth for the 2027 Rugby World Cup and noted the beneficial experience gained from the recent Wales Test.
“It’s great to have the overseas-based and Vodacom Bulls players back in the mix,” said Erasmus. “Many of them are Rugby World Cup winners and bring valuable experience and calm heads to the team.”
Welcoming the uncapped players, Erasmus praised their talent and potential impact on the team. “Johan and Jan-Hendrik impressed us during the alignment camps. They are skilled players with a bright future, and their inclusion provides great opportunities for them to shine.”
The squad gathered in Pretoria on Tuesday and will continue their training schedule despite a delayed arrival from London.
They will return home for the weekend to spend time with their families before resuming training on Monday, July 1, for the clash against Ireland at Loftus Versfeld.
The Castle Lager Incoming Series marks the beginning of the Springboks’ journey towards the 2027 Rugby World Cup, with a focus on exposing players to international rugby and building a robust team for the future.
Springbok squad for Castle Lager Incoming Series:
Forwards:
Phepsi Buthelezi (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Ben-Jason Dixon (DHL Stormers), Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz), Thomas du Toit (Bath), Eben Etzebeth (Hollywoodbets Sharks). Johan Grobbelaar (Vodacom Bulls), Vincent Koch (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Siya Kolisi (Racing 92), Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers), Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears), Bongi Mbonambi (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Salmaan Moerat (DHL Stormers), Franco Mostert (Honda Heat), Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Trevor Nyakane (Racing 92/Hollywoodbets Sharks), Evan Roos (DHL Stormers), Kwagga Smith (Blu Revs), RG Snyman (Munster/Leinster), Gerhard Steenekamp (Vodacom Bulls), Marco van Staden (Vodacom Bulls), Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Vodacom Bulls), Jasper Wiese (Leicester Tigers).
Backs:
Lukhanyo Am (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls), Damian de Allende (Wild Knights), Faf de Klerk (Canon Eagles), Andre Esterhuizen (Harlequins/Hollywoodbets Sharks), Aphelele Fassi (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (DHL Stormers), Cheslin Kolbe (Suntory Sungoliath), Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles), Wilie le Roux (Vodacom Bulls), Manie Libbok (DHL Stormers), Makazole Mapimpi (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Handre Pollard (Leicester Tigers), Cobus Reinach (Montpellier), Morne van den Berg (Emirates Lions), Edwill van der Merwe (Emirates Lions), Grant Williams (Hollywoodbets Sharks).
Players on standby:
Forwards: Jean-Luc du Preez (Sale Sharks), Joseph Dweba, Neethling Fouche (both DHL Stormers), Celimpilo Gumede, Elrigh Louw, Wilco Louw (all Vodacom Bulls), Ntuthuko Mchunu (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Ruben van Heerden (DHL Stormers), Andre-Hugo Venter (DHL Stormers).
Backs: Suleiman Hartzenberg (DHL Stormers), Jordan Hendrikse (Emirates Lions), Ethan Hooker (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Quan Horn (Emirates Lions), Siya Masuku (Hollywoodbets Sharks).
Springbok fixtures:
Saturday, 22 June: SA vs Wales (Twickenham, London)
Saturday, 6 July: SA vs Ireland (Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria)
Saturday, 13 July: SA vs Ireland (Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban)
Saturday, 20 July: SA vs Portugal (Toyota Stadium, Bloemfontein)
Saturday, 10 August: Australia vs SA (Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane)
Saturday, 17 August: Australia vs SA (Optus Stadium, Perth)
Saturday, 31 August: SA vs New Zealand (Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg)
Saturday, 7 September: SA v New Zealand (DHL Stadium, Cape Town)
Saturday, 21 September: Argentina v SA (Estadio Unico Madre Ciudades, Santiago)
Saturday, 28 September: SA v Argentina (Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit)
Sunday, 10 November: Scotland vs SA (Murrayfield, Edinburgh)
Saturday, 16 November: England vs SA (Twickenham, London)
Saturday, 23 November: Wales vs SA (Principality Stadium, Cardiff)
Picture: SA Rugby Springbox, X
