Boks kick off 2025 season with Cape Town alignment camp

The Springboks will set the wheels in motion for the 2025 season when Rassie Erasmus and his management team host the first in-person coaches’ strategic session of the year followed by a three-day alignment camp with a group of 56 domestic players in Cape Town next month. 

Erasmus will also host virtual alignment camps with the overseas-based players, a group of youngsters and domestic injured players who were not invited to the camp in Cape Town. 

This is part of planning for the season which includes the Incoming Series in July, the Rugby Championship between August and October and the traditional end-of-year tour. 

The alignment camp, which is set to conclude on March 12, will comprise two gym sessions and boardroom meetings to get the players up to speed on the requirements and expected standards for the season. 

The group includes 18 members of the 2023 Rugby World Cup-winning squad, 10 of whom were also crowned champions at the 2019 RWC and five of whom participated in the 2015 international extravaganza — with an additional 22 capped national players named in the group. 

A handful of players will get to work with the coaching staff again after being involved in previous alignment camps or the national set-up, as well as the South African “A” team.  

This group includes Celimpilo Gumede, Suleiman Hartzenberg, Asenathi Ntlabakanye and Henco van Wyk, while players such as Jurenzo Julius, JF van Heerden and Reinhardt Ludwig will get their first taste of Springbok rugby. 

Erasmus is pleased with the make-up alignment squad that features a balance of new and old faces.  

“Our alignment camps have proven invaluable in the past few years as it offers us the opportunity to present our structures for the season as well as the Springbok culture and way of doing things,” said Erasmus. 

“The focus at this camp will be to get everyone on the same page for the 2025 season, which will be vital in laying a good foundation for us to build on with a challenging campaign coming up.” 

Zooming in on the composition of the group invited to the camp, Erasmus said: “Most of these players have formed part of our structures at some stage in the past seven years and their experience and familiarity with the way we do things at the Springboks will be invaluable in guiding the younger players, while others have been exposed to our structures before, so they have a good understanding of the way we operate. 

“I’m also excited for the new players in the mix, who have made their mark at franchise level and we are excited to see them receive this opportunity to get a taste of what is expected of them at the highest level.” 

Erasmus added the coaches have already laid a good foundation in preparation and analysis in the past few months since wrapping up the 2024 outgoing tour where the Springboks won all three of their matches for the first time since 2013, capping a magnificent season in which they won 11 of their 13 Tests for a remarkable 84.6% win record. 

“We have been locked in several coaches’ meetings in the past month and each coach has been keeping an eye on the players’ performances during the Vodacom United Rugby Championship, Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup, so from a planning and analysis perspective we are on a good wicket. The next step is to start working through our structures with the players.” 

Players invited to the Springbok alignment camp: 

Forwards: Ethan Bester, Phepsi Buthelezi, Eben Etzebeth, Vincent Koch, Siya Kolisi, Bongi Mbonambi, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Ox Nche, Trevor Nyakane (all Hollywoodbets Sharks); Ben-Jason Dixon, Joseph Dweba, Neethling Fouche, Deon Fourie, Frans Malherbe, Salmaan Moerat, Evan Roos, Andre-Hugo Venter (all DHL Stormers); Renzo du Plessis, Francke Horn, Asenathi Ntlabakanye, Ruan Venter (all Emirates Lions); Johan Grobbelaar, Celimpilo Gumede, Cameron Hanekom, Wilco Louw, Reinhardt Ludwig, Ruan Nortje, Gerhard Steenekamp, Akker van der Merwe, JF van Heerden, Marco van Staden, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Cobus Wiese (all Vodacom Bulls). 

Backs: Lukhanyo Am, André Esterhuizen, Aphelele Fassi, Jaden Hendrikse, Jordan Hendrikse, Ethan Hooker, Jurenzo Julius, Makazole Mapimpi, Grant Williams (all Hollywoodbets Sharks); Paul de Wet, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Suleiman Hartzenberg, Manie Libbok, Damian Willemse (all DHL Stormers); Quan Horn, Morne van den Berg, Edwill van der Merwe, Henco van Wyk (all Emirates Lions); Sebastian de Klerk, David Kriel, Willie le Roux, Canan Moodie, Embrose Papier (all Vodacom Bulls).