Overseas Springboks on board as Nienaber names 40-man Rugby Championship training squad

BD News 24

10 June 2023

Overseas Springboks on board as Nienaber names 40-man Rugby Championship training squad

Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber on Saturday named a 40-man training squad for the upcoming Rugby Championship.

The squad features several overseas-based players for a three-week training camp in Pretoria. The camp starts on Sunday and will run until Thursday, 29 June.

The overseas players who will assemble in Pretoria are outside backs Cheslin Kolbe and Willie le Roux, centres Damian de Allende, Andre Esterhuizen and Jesse Kriel, scrumhalves Cobus Reinach and Faf de Klerk, flyhalf Handre Pollard, hooker Malcolm Marx, No 8 Jasper Wiese, utility forwards Franco Mostert and Jean-Luc du Preez, loose forwards Pieter-Steph du Toit, Kwagga Smith and Jasper Wiese, locks Lood de Jager and RG Snyman, as well as props Vincent Koch and Trevor Nyakane.

The squad - with the exception of Nyakane, Koch and Du Preez - will begin their on-field training sessions on Monday.

The above-mentioned trio will join later due to personal and club commitments.

Meanwhile, SA Rugby added that Munster lock Jean Kleyn - who played five Tests for Ireland after qualifying on residency grounds in September 2019 - could join the squad as a 41st member.

This will be subject to the outcome of an application filed by SA Rugby regarding the former Stormers lock's eligibility in terms of Regulation 8 and based on birth right. The rugby governing body said a decision is expected to be received soon.

"It is great that we have been able to invite this group of players to the camp and we are excited to get back onto the field and to switch into international mode completely," Nienaber said in a statement on Saturday.

"We hosted a string of alignment and preparation camps between February and last week, but this time we have the luxury of working with the domestic and overseas-based players and to spend time together as a wider squad daily.

"This will raise the quality of our training sessions as we will again be able to field full teams against one another, while also having a look at a big group of players as we prepare for a challenging Rugby Championship campaign and 2023 season.

"Our medical team will also have more time to work directly with the players nursing injuries and to monitor their progress and rehabilitation as the Test matches draw nearer."

In a shortened Rugby Championship, South Africa will host Australia (Loftus Versfeld, 8 July) and Argentina (Ellis Park, 29 July) and face New Zealand away from home (Auckland, 15 July).

The Boks will also play a warm-up match against Argentina in Buenos Aires (5 August), before wrapping up their World Cup preparation with games against Wales in Cardiff (19 August) and New Zealand in London (25 August).

South Africa's 33-man squad for the World Cup will be named on 8 August.

Springbok 2023 fixtures:

Rugby Championship:

Saturday, 8 July - Springboks v Australia (Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria)

Saturday, 15 July - Springboks v New Zealand (Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland)

Saturday, 29 July - Springboks v Argentina (Ellis Park, Johannesburg)

RWC warm-up fixtures:

Saturday, 5 August - Springboks v Argentina (Velez Sarsfield, Buenos Aires)

Saturday, 19 August - Springboks v Wales (Principality Stadium, Cardiff)

Friday, 25 August - Springboks v New Zealand (Twickenham, London)

RWC fixtures:

Sunday, 10 September - Springboks v Scotland (Stade Marseille, Marseille)