Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has called up a squad of 26 players, mostly featuring overseas-based talent, along with some promising youngsters and recovering players, to take part in the first virtual alignment camp of the year.
The virtual camp will be held on Wednesday, March 27, following an in-person camp in Cape Town scheduled for March 10-12.
Erasmus, together with his assistant coaches and management team, will lead two virtual sessions on the same day—one for the players based in Japan and the other for those in the northern hemisphere and South Africa—taking time zones into account.
In addition to the 26 players invited to the virtual camp, 56 players have been called up for the Cape Town camp, which will play an important role in preparing the team for the 2025 season and beyond.
The virtual camp group includes 18 Rugby World Cup winners, alongside four other capped Springboks. Among them, Jonathan Roche is the only new face in the group, receiving his first invite after a strong season with the Stormers. Other uncapped players invited include Sharks flyhalf Siya Masuku, Marnus van der Merwe, Lions scrumhalf Nico Steyn, and Scarlets hooker Marnus van Merwe.
“It’s crucial that all players on our radar are familiar with our plans and goals for the season,” Erasmus said. “We’ll present the same information to the virtual group that we do with those in Cape Town, ensuring everyone is aligned as we enter a demanding season.”
Erasmus emphasized the importance of growing the player pool and introducing new talent to the national setup, while also highlighting the need for continual improvement. “Although many of these players have won a World Cup, we made it clear before the 2023 tournament in France that we must keep adapting to stay on top, not just this season but as we work towards the 2027 World Cup in Australia.”
Looking ahead, Erasmus mentioned that discussions are underway to arrange a match before the Springboks’ Incoming Series, where they will face Italy in two Tests on July 5 and 12, followed by a match against Georgia on July 19. The team will then defend their Rugby Championship title against Australia, New Zealand, and Argentina between August and October, before embarking on their traditional Outgoing Tour in November.
Players invited to the virtual Springbok alignment camps (in alphabetical order):
- Kurt-Lee Arendse (Dynaboars)
- Damian de Allende, Lood de Jager (Wild Knights)
- Faf de Klerk (Canon Eagles)
- Dan du Preez, Jean-Luc du Preez (Sale Sharks)
- Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz)
- Thomas du Toit (Bath)
- Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg (Montpellier)
- Herschel Jantjies (DHL Stormers)
- Jean Kleyn (Munster)
- Cheslin Kolbe (Suntory Sungoliath)
- Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles)
- Elrigh Louw (Vodacom Bulls)
- Trevor Nyakane (Hollywoodbets Sharks)
- Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears)
- Siya Masuku (Hollywoodbets Sharks)
- Franco Mostert (Honda Heat)
- Handre Pollard (Leicester Tigers)
- Cobus Reinach (Montpellier)
- Jonathan Roche (DHL Stormers)
- Kwagga Smith (Blue Revs)
- RG Snyman (Leinster)
- Nico Steyn (Emirates Lions)
- Marnus van der Merwe (Scarlets)
- Jasper Wiese (Urayasu D-Rocks)
