Erasmus casts net wide, includes Junior Boks for first alignment camp

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus cast his net wide when naming a 49-man squad featuring 11 uncapped players, five of whom are in the Junior Bok ranks, for the team’s first in-person alignment camp of the year in Cape Town on Wednesday.

The camp will run from March 3 to 6 as the Bok coaches zoom in on the 2026 season.

The group includes 14 Rugby World Cup winners, with Frans Malherbe, who has been out of action since the 2023 World Cup final due to back and neck injuries, making a notable return to the squad.

The five South Africa under-20 players include 2025 Junior World Championship-winning captain utility forward Riley Norton, utility back Cheswill Jooste and hooker Siphosethu Mnebelele. Two more from the 2025 SA U-18 squad who are on tour with the Junior Boks in Georgia, prop Kai Pratt and centre Markus Muller, also feature in the group.

Jooste, Haashim Pead (scrumhalf) and Bathobele Hlekani (utility forward), who will all attend their first Springbok alignment camp, trained with the Boks for a week in Johannesburg last season.

The other players who secured their first invite to an alignment camp are Emmanuel Tshituka (utility forward), Jaco Williams (wing), Paul de Villiers (flanker) and Zachary Porthen (prop), who made his Test debut against Japan late last year.

The camp will include boardroom and gymnasium sessions where the national coaches will brief their players on their plans and expected standards for the season as the team prepares to build toward the 2027 World Cup, while offering some of the younger players valuable insight into the senior national set-up.

The in-person camp will be followed by a virtual alignment camp with 21 overseas-based players.

Erasmus was pleased with the make-up of the squad.

“This is an exciting group of players who have all made a strong statement for their respective provincial unions, and we are delighted to have some of the finest young talent in the country attending the camp to expose them to our environment and structures,” he said.

“Bathobele, Haashim and Cheswill trained with us for a few days last year and we saw how valuable that experience was for them, so hopefully all the young players and those attending their first alignment camp will also gain a greater understanding of how the team operates.”

Erasmus said the team’s planning for a bumper programme in 2026 is at an advanced stage ahead of the international season kicking off against the Barbarians in Gqeberha on June 20.

“The coaches and management staff have been working around the clock to ensure we are as prepared as possible for a challenging season and all the operational and logistical aspects are in place for everything to run as smoothly as possible.

“The next step is to start working with the players and getting them into the swing of things.”

The Boks will host a second alignment camp in May.

First Springbok alignment camp squad

Forwards: Eben Etzebeth, Siya Kolisi, Ox Nche, Kai Pratt, Emmanuel Tshituka, Vincent Tshituka (all Sharks), Johan Grobbelaar, Cameron Hanekom, Elrigh Louw, Wilco Louw, Siphosethu Mnebebele, Ruan Nortje, Gerhard Steenekamp, Marco van Staden, Cobus Wiese, Jan-Hendrik Wessels (all Bulls), Paul de Villiers, Ben-Jason Dixon, Neethling Fouche, Frans Malherbe, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Salmaan Moerat, Riley Norton, Zachary Porthen, Evan Roos (all Stormers), Bathobele Hlekani, Asenathi Ntlabakanye, Ruan Venter (all Lions)

Backs: Andre Esterhuizen, Aphelele Fassi, Jaden Hendrikse, Jordan Hendrikse, Ethan Hooker, Makazole Mapimpi, Edwill van der Merwe, Grant Williams, Jaco Williams (all Sharks), Kurt-Lee Arendse, Sebastian de Klerk, Cheswill Jooste, Canan Moodie, Handre Pollard (all Bulls), Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Markus Muller, Cobus Reinach, Damian Willemse (all Stormers), Quan Horn, Haashim Pead, Morne van den Berg (all Lions)

SA Rugby Communications