CONFIRMED: Eben Etzebeth included in the 31-man Springbok World Cup squad

Lock Eben Etzebeth was included in the 31-man Springbok Rugby World Cup squad despite assault allegations.

Aphiwe Dyantyi‚ who failed a doping test recently‚ was left out of the squad along with Warren Whiteley and Marcell Coetzee.

The latter duo‚ who are loose-forwards‚ miss out through injury while Rynhardt Elstadt lost out to Kwagga Smith.

The squad will be captained by Siya Kolisi‚ who has recovered from a knee injury that kept him out of the Rugby Championship that the Springboks won.

SA's opening Rugby World Cup game will be against fierce rivals New Zealand in Yokohama on September 21.

Springbok squad:

Herschel Jantjies‚ Cobus Reinach‚ Warrick Gelant‚ Elton Jantjies‚ Handre Pollard‚ Makazole Mapimpi‚ Schalk Britz‚ S'bu Nkosi‚ Cheslin Kolbe‚ Faf de Klerk‚ Bongi Mbonambi‚ Malcolm Marx‚ Lukhanyo Am‚ Frans Malherbe‚ RG Snyman‚ Lood de Jager‚ Franco Mostert‚ Damian de Allende‚ Vincent Koch‚ Steven Kitshoff‚ Albertus Smith‚ Trevor Nyakane‚ Willie le Roux‚ Frans Steyn‚ Francois Louw‚ Duane Vermeulen‚ Tendai Mtawarira‚ Eben Etzebeth‚ Pieter-Steph du Toit‚ Jesse Kriel‚ Siya Kolisi (Captain)