All love between Springbok duo vying for same spot

They might be vying for the same position in the Springbok team, but Ox Nche says there’s no competition between him and Steven Kitshoff, who he says inspires him to be a better player.

Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber named a Rugby Championship training squad of 40 players – which features a handful of overseas based players – for their next assignment, a three-week training camp in Pretoria from Sunday, 11 June until Thursday, 29 June.

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The group had its first media conference on Wednesday and it was there where Nche spoke of his admiration for Steven Kitshoff, who has amassed a whopping 71 Tests to date.

Nche said having a player of Steven Kitshoff’s calibre in the squad brought the best out of him.

“I don’t see Steven as competition, we try to help one another,” said Nche. “I’ve watched him play for the Stormers and he makes me want to be a better player.”

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SPRINGBOKS FOCUS ON RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP FIRST, WORLD CUP LATER

Nche echoed Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber’s sentiments that focusing on the Rugby Championship, rather than the Rugby World Cup was vital for the team.

“You have to climb a mountain step by step, and we first have to get through the Rugby Championship and play well in that tournament before we can look ahead,” said Nche.

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SPRINGBOKS TEST FIXTURES IN 2023

Rugby Championship

✈ 8 July: Springboks vs Australia (Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria)

✈ 15 July: South Africa vs New Zealand (Mount Smart, Auckland)

✈ 29 July: South Africa vs Argentina (Ellis Park, Johannesburg)

World Cup warm-ups

✈ 5 August: South Africa vs Argentina (Vélez Stadium, Buenos Aires)

✈ 19 August: South Africa vs Wales (Millennium Stadium, Cardiff)

✈ 25 August: Springboks vs New Zealand (Twickenham Stadium, London)

Rugby World Cup

✈ 10 September: South Africa vs Scotland (Stade Vélodrome, Marseille)

✈ 17 September: Springboks vs Romania (Stade de Bordeaux, Bordeaux)

✈ 23 September: South Africa vs Ireland (Stade de France, Saint-Denis, Paris)

✈ 1 October: South Africa vs Tonga (Stade Vélodrome, Marseille)

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