Everyone must get with Bok programme

Rassie Erasmus says most of the players at the Springbok alignment camps this year won’t represent South Africa until after 2027, but their presence is crucial nonetheless.

A group of 56 domestic players are in Cape Town for an in-person camp this week, while 26 overseas-based and additional players will attend a virtual camp later in March.

Erasmus, during a Bok media briefing last week, detailed his reasoning for selecting a total of 82 players.

“A lot of these players [in the group] probably won’t play and will only receive an opportunity after 2027. But to have those players in our alignment camps keeps the older guys on their toes and vice versa,” he said.

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The in-person camp, which runs from Monday to Wednesday, includes 18 members of the 2023 World Cup-winning squad, with 10 of them also part of the 2019 triumph. The sessions feature gym work and strategic discussions to prepare the squad for the season ahead.

Emerging talents such as Francke Horn, Jurenzo Julius, JF van Heerden and Reinhardt Ludwig will get their first taste of the Bok setup. Others, like Mpilo Gumede, Suleiman Hartzenberg, Asenathi Ntlabakanye and Henco van Wyk, have previously been involved with SA ‘A’ or alignment camps.

Meanwhile, Akker van der Merwe, capped three times in 2018 under Erasmus, returns to the squad alongside Bulls teammates Cobus Wiese and Sebastian de Klerk.

The virtual camp on 27 March will feature 26 players, including a mix of Rugby World Cup winners and new prospects. Stormers rookie Jonathan Roche has been named in this group after an impressive start to the season. The virtual sessions will be split to accommodate players in Japan, Europe and South Africa.

“After these alignment camps, there are 13 weeks before we head into our physical camp. There are between six and 13 [franchise] games left,” Erasmus said.

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“Some teams will go further in their respective competitions than others and will most likely play 13 games. Others will probably just play six [games] if they only play the league matches.

“So after these alignment camps, the squad won’t consist of 80-odd players but will probably go down to 55 and drop down to 40 at the following camp. 

“We just want to tell everyone: ‘this is the programme, get yourself ready and let’s see how we can work together to make you a better player.’”

The Springboks begin their 2025 season against the Barbarians on 29 June before taking on Italy (5 and 12 July) and Georgia (19 July) in the Republic. 

They will then defend their Rugby Championship title from August to October against Australia, New Zealand, and Argentina, followed by the traditional end-of-year tour in November.

Photo: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images