South Africa Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has named a formidable 33-man squad, led by double Rugby World Cup-winning captain Siya Kolisi, for the Castle Lager Rugby Championship. The tournament kicks off against the Wallabies in Brisbane on Saturday, 10 August.
The squad boasts a mix of seasoned veterans and promising newcomers, with 22 of the 33 players being Rugby World Cup winners.
Among the fresh faces are Jan-Hendrik Wessels (utility forward), Johan Grobbelaar (hooker), Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (utility back), Ben-Jason Dixon (utility forward), and Morne van den Berg (scrumhalf).
The only newcomer to the group is lock Ruan Nortje, who made his Springbok debut against Wales in 2022 and represented the SA ‘A’ side in November that year.
Notably absent due to injury or rehabilitation are Jean Kleyn, Lood de Jager, and Franco Mostert (all locks), Steven Kitshoff (prop), Faf de Klerk, Jaden Hendrikse, Herschel Jantjies (scrumhalves), Canan Moodie (centre), Edwill van der Merwe (wing), and Damian Willemse (utility back). Jasper Wiese (No 8) is suspended, and Andre Esterhuizen (centre) awaits a disciplinary hearing after being sent off in the 64-21 win over Portugal on Saturday.
“This is a quality group of players, which includes a mixture of youth and experience, and we believe this is the best group of players we could select for this tough assignment in the Castle Lager Rugby Championship,” said Erasmus.
“We rested some players before the match against Portugal to recharge for this competition and we are excited to see the energy they’ll bring back to the squad. We’ve also included a few younger players who made a strong statement in the Tests we played so far this season.”
Erasmus emphasized the inclusion of Ruan Nortje due to Franco Mostert’s injury, noting Nortje’s leadership experience as the captain of the Vodacom Bulls.
He also praised the younger players in the squad for their performances this season, expressing confidence in their ability to rise to the challenge against the southern hemisphere’s top teams.
The Springboks are set for a demanding Rugby Championship, facing Australia in Brisbane and Perth on 10 and 17 August, respectively.
They will then return to South Africa to play back-to-back matches against New Zealand on 31 August in Johannesburg and 7 September in Cape Town.
The team will then travel to Argentina to face Los Pumas in Santiago on 21 September, before concluding the tournament in Nelspruit against Argentina on 28 September.
Following the Rugby Championship, the Springboks will embark on their traditional northern hemisphere tour in November, with fixtures against Scotland (10 November), England (16 November), and Wales in Cardiff (23 November).
A one-week training camp in Jersey will precede the tour, allowing the team to acclimatize and focus on their conditioning and preparation.
The Castle Lager Rugby Championship squad will assemble in Johannesburg on Sunday for a short preparation camp before departing for Australia on Wednesday, 31 July.
With a blend of experienced campaigners and exciting new talent, the Springboks are poised to tackle the challenges of the Rugby Championship head-on.
