Springboks Call Up New Talent For Alignment Camp
The Springboks have announced their squad for the second in-person alignment camp, which includes talented newcomers Sibabalwe Mahashe from the Lions and Zekhethelo Siyaya from the Sharks. These young players have earned their call-ups to the camp, which will run from Tuesday 19 to Thursday 21 May.
They will be joined by experienced players such as Embrose Papier, Francke Horn, Andre-Hugo Venter, and Henco van Wyk, who have all attended alignment camps in the past. With several seasoned national players currently sidelined due to injury, the purpose of this camp is to expose these players to the team’s structures and systems, with an eye on the next two seasons and beyond.
A second virtual alignment camp will be hosted following the conclusion of this session. The camp squad comprises 25 forwards and 15 backline players, including 10 uncapped players, such as Paul de Villiers, Bathobele Hlekani, and Jaco Williams. Six of these players were invited to the first alignment camp in March.
According to Erasmus, “This is an exciting group of players, and it’s been pleasing to see them make their presence felt in the United Rugby Championship and during their teams’ Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup campaigns this season.” He added, “This camp will be a good opportunity to expose those invited to our setup and the standards expected of the national coaches.”
Players Invited To The Second In-Person Springbok Alignment Camp
The forwards include Paul de Villiers, Ben-Jason Dixon, and Salmaan Moerat from the Stormers, as well as Bathobele Hlekani and Sibabalwe Mahashe from the Lions. The Bulls are represented by players such as Johan Grobbelaar, Elrigh Louw, and Marco van Staden. The backline players include Kurt-Lee Arendse and Embrose Papier from the Bulls, as well as Zekhethelo Siyaya and Edwill van der Merwe from the Sharks.
The international season will start with a double-header in Gqeberha on Saturday, 20 June, when the Boks face the Barbarians and the SA ‘A’ team take on Zimbabwe. This will be followed by three home matches in the Nations Championship, against England, Scotland, and Wales. The team will then meet Argentina in Buenos Aires and the All Blacks in four Tests in the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series in August and September.
Looking Ahead To A Busy Season
The Springboks will also face the Wallabies in Australia on 27 September, before the second leg of the Nations Championship kicks off in Europe. The team will play matches against Italy, France, and Ireland, ahead of the Finals Weekend in London from 27 to 29 November.
For more information on the Springbok alignment camp, visit camp squad
