Surprise selection in Springboks’ Rugby Championship squad.11 World Cup winners OUT of Rugby Champs squad

The Rugby Championship squad, which features 22 Rugby World Cup winners, was unveiled by the Springbok coaches on Tuesday. Five players who made their debuts in 2024 are included in the squad: utility forward Jan-Hendrik Wessels, hooker Johan Grobbelaar, utility back Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, utility forward Ben-Jason Dixon, and scrumhalf Morne van den Berg.

Lock Ruan Nortje, who made his Springbok debut against Wales in 2022 and played for the SA “A” side in November of the same year, is the lone rookie to the group. The remaining players all played in the team’s four first-round Test matches of the season, either at Twickenham against Wales or in the Incoming Series.

Nortje’s inclusion does make complete sense when actually reviewing the Springboks’ injury issues in the second row.

Among the players not considered for selection due to injury or rehab were 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.

SPRINGBOK SQUAD FOR THE RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP (IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER):

Forwards: 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 (captain – Racing 92), Elrigh Louw (Vodacom Bulls), Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers), Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears), Bongi Mbonambi (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Salmaan Moerat (DHL Stormers), Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Ruan Nortje (Vodacom Bulls), Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs), RG Snyman (Leinster), Gerhard Steenekamp (Vodacom Bulls), Marco van Staden (Vodacom Bulls), Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Vodacom Bulls).

Backs: Lukhanyo Am (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls), Damian de Allende (Wild Knights), Aphelele Fassi (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (DHL Stormers), Cheslin Kolbe (Suntory Sungoliath), Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles), Willie le Roux (Vodacom Bulls), Makazole Mapimpi (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Manie Libbok (DHL Stormers), Handre Pollard (Leicester Tigers), Cobus Reinach (Montpellier), Morne van den Berg (Emirates Lions), Grant Williams (Hollywoodbets Sharks).

BUSY SEASON AHEAD

The Springboks will face Australia in Brisbane and Perth on 10 and 17 August respectively, before returning to South Africa to play back-to-back matches against New Zealand on Saturday, 31 August in Johannesburg, and 7 September in Cape Town. They will then take a short trip to Argentina to face Los Pumas in Santiago on Saturday, 21 September, before wrapping up the tournament in Nelspruit against Argentina on Saturday, 28 September.

The team will then travel to the UK for their traditional northern hemisphere tour in November where they will line up against Scotland (10 November), England (16 November) and Wales in Cardiff (23 November).

The year-end tour will be preceded by a one-week training camp in Jersey – one of the largest of the Channel Islands between England and France – where the team will have the luxury of acclimatising to the conditions, while at the same time focussing on their conditioning and preparation for the tour.

The Rugby Championship squad will assemble in Johannesburg on Sunday for a short preparation camp before departing for Australia on Wednesday 31 July.