Rassie Erasmus has cast the net wide. The Springboks director of rugby has named a 51-man training squad, including 21 uncapped players, to prepare for a season-opening double-header in Gqeberha on Saturday 20 June, when the Springboks face the Barbarians and a South Africa 'A' side meets Zimbabwe. The group assembled in Johannesburg on Monday.
"We named a large group of players as we will be selecting a Springbok and SA 'A' team for the season-opening double-header in Gqeberha, and this will be beneficial in the long term as we build the squad, looking forward to next year's Rugby World Cup and beyond," Erasmus said.
The selection pulls in two directions at once. At one end sit the rookies: SA Under-20 captain Riley Norton, Sharks forward Emmanuel Tshituka, Stormers loose forward Paul de Villiers and Lions hooker Sibabalwa Mahashe among them, alongside a clutch of Junior Springboks. At the other, Erasmus has recalled experienced campaigners playing in Japan, with double World Cup winners Lukhanyo Am and Faf de Klerk back in the mix, a blend SA Rugby magazine framed as the coach reaching for "forgotten Boks" as much as fresh caps.
"There is also an exciting mix of experienced campaigners and young players in this squad, and this formula has worked well for us in the past to ensure a clear pathway to build depth within the group," Erasmus said.
One notable absence shaped the group: no Bulls players were included, with the Pretoria side preparing for the URC Grand Final against Leinster at Croke Park on 19 June. Their availability would only have swelled an already vast squad.
Erasmus pointed to months of groundwork behind the call-ups. "The coaches have been working around the clock to put the systems in place in the last few months, and the in-person and virtual alignment camps have given most of the players a taste of what to expect, so it's now a matter of implementing what they learned in the boardroom onto the field," he said.
The double-header opens a defining year. With the Nations Championship looming and the 2027 Rugby World Cup on the horizon, the depth Erasmus banks now will shape his selection runway. "We are under no illusions about the challenge ahead this season," he said.
