Rassie Erasmus has widened the selection net by calling up 49 players for the Springboks’ first in-person alignment camp of the year, set to take place in Cape Town next week, Cape {town} Etc reports.
The squad features a strong youth element, with 11 uncapped players included, five of whom are still part of the Junior Boks structures, underlining the coaching staff’s intent to blend experience with emerging talent early in the season.
Among the notable inclusions is tighthead prop Frans Malherbe, who last represented South Africa in the 2023 Rugby World Cup final win over New Zealand. The seasoned forward has been sidelined since March last year with back and neck injuries but is edging closer to a return for the Stormers. In total, 14 World Cup winners have been invited, although veteran fullback Willie le Roux and hooker Bongi Mbonambi are not part of the group.
Five junior internationals will attend the camp, which runs from Tuesday, 3 March to Friday, 6 March. They include 2025 Junior World Championship-winning captain Riley Norton, alongside SA U20 teammates Cheswill Jooste and Siphosethu Mnebelele. Also involved are Kai Pratt and Markus Muller, members of the 2025 SA U18 squad currently touring Georgia with the Junior Boks.
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Jooste, Haashim Pead and Bathobele Hlekani are set for their first Springbok alignment camp after previously spending a training week with the senior side in Johannesburg last season.
Several other players have earned maiden alignment camp invitations, including Emmanuel Tshituka, Jaco Williams, Paul de Villiers and Zachary Porthen, although Porthen has already made his Test debut against Japan.
According to a statement from SA Rugby, the camp will focus on classroom and gym-based sessions, where players will be briefed on tactical plans, expectations and performance standards as preparations intensify for the 2026 season and the World Cup in Australia.
Erasmus said the camp is designed to reward players who have impressed at provincial level while giving younger prospects valuable exposure to the senior national environment. He added that the experience had already proven beneficial for players who trained with the squad last year.
A second alignment camp is scheduled for May, while a virtual camp involving 21 overseas-based players will take place in the coming weeks.
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