Siya Kolisi won't be playing in Springboks vs Wales game at Twickenham

Siya Kolisi, the Springboks’ two-time Rugby World Cup wining captain. Image: Julian Finney/World Rugby via Getty Images

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus named a squad of 35 players for the team’s first official training camp of the season, which starts in Pretoria on Monday.

The focus of the squad will be on the opening Test of the season against Wales on Saturday, 22 June.

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The Springboks are in for a blockbuster 2024 season kicking off later this month against Wales at Twickenham in London.

The squad includes 11 uncapped players and a number of players from the 2023 and 2019 Rugby World Cup-winning squads.

BULLS AND EUROPE-BASED PLAYERS NOT CONSIDERED

The uncapped players in the squad are Jordan Hendrikse (the brother of Jaden Hendrikse), Quan Horn, Edwill van der Merwe, Morne van den Berg (all Lions players), Phepsi Buthelezi, Siya Masuku, Ethan Hooker (from the Hollywoodbets Sharks), Ben-Jason Dixon, Sacha Feinberg-Mgomezulu, Neethling Fouche and Andre-Hugo Venter (Stormers), who were outstanding in their respective competitions this season.

Players based in Europe, the UK and Ireland will not be considered for the Springboks’ first Test of the season against Wales at Twickenham.

That means that France-based Springbok skipper Siya Kolisi will not play in the match against Wales.

A new skipper will need to be selected.

Erasmus made no mention of the identity of the new captain when announcing the squad.

In addition, players in contention from the Bulls, who advanced to the semi-final of the United Rugby Championship, were also not considered for this squad.

The squad includes 19 forwards and 16 backs.

Rugby World Cup-winning flyhalf Handre Pollard and No 8 Jasper Wiese (who is serving a six-week ban) have been named in the group and will be allowed to train with their team-mates, but will only be available for selection after the Wales Test.

Erasmus included a local contingent from the newly crowned EPCR Challenge Cup champions, the Hollywoodbets Sharks, and the Lions – whose URC seasons came to an end at the conclusion of the pool stages last weekend – as well as the Stormers, who were knocked out of the competition earlier this evening against the Glasgow Warriors.

Players plying their trade in Japan were also named in the squad.

The only players in the group who did not participate in either of the Springbok alignment sessions in March and May respectively, as well as the virtual alignment camp hosted early in May, are Hooker and Van der Merwe.

“We selected a group of players featuring a good mix of youth and experience, and in terms of the young players especially, we believe they have the potential to make the step-up to top international rugby,” said Erasmus.

“We’ve been following all their performances closely, we had the luxury of presenting our plans to them and getting to know them as individuals off the field at the alignment camps, and we are pleased with the enthusiasm they showed and willingness to learn.

“With the players based in Europe, the UK and Ireland not available for Wales, we anticipate that there will be a few players making their Test debuts in that match, but even for those who do not make the cut, having them in camp and getting the chance to work closely with them on the field will set them and the team in good stead as we prepare for this season and start laying the foundation for the 2027 World Cup in Australia.”

‘FEW UNLUCKY PLAYERS’ – RASSIE ERASMUS

Erasmus added: “We gained immense value by granting a few players a chance to prove what they can do at international level in the last few years leading up to the 2023 World Cup. Some of the players who made their Test debuts in that time were members of the squad that lifted the trophy in Paris, and we feel it is important that we continue blooding new players as we build toward the future.

“As things stand, we have a bunch of young players that already have Test experience and who know exactly how we operate as a team and what is expected of them at this level, and we have no doubt that we will reap the rewards in the years to come as we continue to increase our squad depth.

“As always there are a few unlucky players who missed out on selection this time, but the door will always be open for them to be called up if the need arises.”

Steven Kitshoff, Lood de Jager and Jaden Hendrikse among a handful players were not considered for the squad due to injury.

The Wales Test will be followed by the Incoming Series which features back-to-back Tests against Ireland (ranked second in the world) in Pretoria and Durban respectively (on 6 and 13 July) and a historic first Test against Portugal in Bloemfontein on 20 July.

The Springboks will then turn their attention to the Rugby Championship where they will line up against Australia in Brisbane and Perth (on 10 and 17 August) before facing arch-rivals New Zealand on consecutive weekends in South Africa in Johannesburg and Cape Town respectively (on 31 August and 7 September).

They will then make a trip to Argentina where they will face the Pumas in Santiago (on 21 September) and then in Nelspruit on 28 September.

This will be followed by the traditional year-end tour featuring Tests against Scotland in Edinburgh (9 November), England in London (16 November) and Wales in Cardiff (23 November).

SPRINGBOK TRAINING SQUAD (IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER):

Forwards: Phepsi Buthelezi (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Joseph Dweba, Ben-Jason Dixon (both Stormers), Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz), Eben Etzebeth (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Neethling Fouche (Stormers), Vincent Koch (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Frans Malherbe (Stormers), Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears), Bongi Mbonambi (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Ntuthuko Mchunu (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Salmaan Moerat (Stormers), Franco Mostert (Honda Heat), Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Evan Roos (Stormers), Kwagga Smith (Blu Revs), Andre-Hugo Venter (Stormers), Jasper Wiese (Leicester Tigers)

Backs: Damian de Allende (Panasonic Wild Knights), Faf de Klerk (Canon Eagles), Andre Esterhuizen (Harlequins), Aphelele Fassi (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Jordan Hendrikse (Lions), Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (Stormers), Ethan Hooker (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Quan Horn (Lions), Cheslin Kolbe (Suntory Sungoliath) Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles), Manie Libbok (Stormers), Makazole Mapimpi, Siya Masuku (both Hollywoodbets Sharks), Handre Pollard (Leicester Tigers), Morne van den Berg (Lions), Edwill van der Merwe (Lions), Grant Williams (Hollywoodbets Sharks)