Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has announced a squad of 35 players for the team’s first official training camp of the season, which began this week in Pretoria.
This kicks off an exciting 2024 season for the Springboks, who are preparing for their opening Test against Wales in London on 22 June.
The squad features a mix of experienced players and fresh talent, including 11 uncapped players and veterans from the 2023 and 2019 Rugby World Cup-winning squads. Notably, Cheslin Kolbe, a double World Cup-winning wing, has rejoined the squad in Pretoria. Kolbe will be undergoing rehabilitation under the Springbok medical team’s supervision, with the hope of being fit for selection for the opening Test of the Castle Lager Incoming Tour against Ireland.
The squad consists of 19 forwards and 16 backs. Key players like Rugby World Cup-winning flyhalf Handre Pollard and No. 8 Jasper Wiese, who is currently serving a six-week ban, are included in the group. While Pollard and Wiese will train with their teammates, they will only be available for selection after the Wales Test.
Erasmus has chosen to exclude players based in Europe, the UK, and Ireland from consideration for the first Test of the season. Additionally, players from the Vodacom Bulls, who reached the semi-finals of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship, were not considered for this squad.
The selection includes local players from the Hollywoodbets Sharks, the newly crowned EPCR Challenge Cup champions, and the Emirates Lions, whose Vodacom URC seasons ended at the pool stages. The DHL Stormers, recently knocked out of the competition by the Glasgow Warriors, also have representatives in the squad. Additionally, players currently playing in Japan have been named.
Here are the upcoming matches:
22 June: SA vs. Wales at Twickenham Stadium, London, England
6 July: SA vs. Ireland at Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria, South Africa
13 July: SA vs. Ireland at Kings Park Stadium, Durban, South Africa
20 July: SA vs. Portugal at Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein, South Africa
10 August: SA vs. Australia at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, Australia
17 August: SA vs. Australia at Optus Stadium, Perth, Australia
31 August: SA vs. New Zealand at Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa
7 September: SA vs. New Zealand at DHL Stadium, Cape Town, South Africa
21 September: SA vs. Argentina at Estadio Nacional, Santiago, Chile
28 September: SA vs. Argentina at Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit, South Africa
10 November: SA vs. Scotland at Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh, Scotland
16 November: SA vs. England at Twickenham Stadium, London, England
23 November: SA vs. Wales at Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Wales
Springbok training squad:
Forwards: Phepsi Buthelezi (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Joseph Dweba, Ben-Jason Dixon (both DHL Stormers), Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz), Eben Etzebeth (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Neethling Fouche (DHL Stormers), Vincent Koch (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers), Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears), Bongi Mbonambi (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Ntuthuko Mchunu (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Salmaan Moerat (DHL Stormers), Franco Mostert (Honda Heat), Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Evan Roos (DHL Stormers), Kwagga Smith (Blu Revs), Andre-Hugo Venter (DHL Stormers), Jasper Wiese (Leicester Tigers).
Backs: Damian de Allende (Panasonic Wild Knights), Faf de Klerk (Canon Eagles), Andre Esterhuizen (Harlequins), Aphelele Fassi (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Jordan Hendrikse (Emirates Lions), Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (DHL Stormers), Ethan Hooker (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Quan Horn (Emirates Lions), Cheslin Kolbe (Suntory Sungoliath) Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles), Manie Libbok (DHL Stormers), Makazole Mapimpi, Siya Masuku (both Hollywoodbets Sharks), Handre Pollard (Leicester Tigers), Morne van den Berg (Emirates Lions), Edwill van der Merwe (Emirates Lions), Grant Williams (Hollywoodbets Sharks).
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