Junior Springbok star Markus Muller (middle) received a first Springboks alignment camp invitation and is one of 11 uncapped players who will join the national team in Cape Town next week as they start preparations for the action-packed 2026 international season.
Image: Henk Kruger | Independent Media
Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus unveiled an expansive 49-man squad for next week’s first in-person alignment camp of the year in Cape Town.
With 11 uncapped players — five of them still in the Junior Bok system — the selection underlines a deliberate push to grow depth, while also rewarding the form certain players have shown and exposing the next wave of talent to the demands of the green and gold environment.
The camp will run from Tuesday, 3 March, until Friday, 6 March, and it will be followed by a virtual alignment camp with 21 overseas-based players.
Stormers prop Frans Malherbe — who had been out of action since the 2023 Rugby World Cup Final due to back and neck injuries — will return to the squad, while 2025 Junior World Championship-winning captain Riley Norton, utility back Cheswill Jooste and hooker Siphosethu Mnebelele form part of the SA U20 players earning the nod.
The other two players, teen sensation Markus Muller and prop Kai Pratt, are in their first season with the Junior Boks in Georgia and will also link up with the national side on their return. They are arguably the two most notable inclusions for the alignment camp, having played U18 rugby last year.
Apart from the Junior Boks, several players in the United Rugby Championship (URC) also received their first call-up. They include Emmanuel Tshituka (utility forward, Sharks), Jaco Williams (wing, Sharks), Bathobele Hlekani (loose forward, Lions), Haashim Pead (scrumhalf, Lions), Paul de Villiers (flanker, Stormers), and Zachary Porthen (prop, Stormers), who made his Test debut against Japan late last year.
There were no call-ups for veteran fullback Willie le Roux (Bulls), the Sharks’ hooker Bongi Mbonambi, or props Vincent Koch and Trevor Nyakane.
“This is an exciting group of players who have all made a strong statement for their respective provincial unions, and we are delighted to have some of the finest young talent in the country attending the camp to expose them to our environment and structures,” Erasmus said.
“Bathobele, Haashim, and Cheswill trained with us for a few days last year, and we saw how valuable that experience was for them, so hopefully all the young players and those attending their first alignment camp will also gain a greater understanding of how the team operates.”
Ahead of a tough season that includes the Nations Championship Tests in July and Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Tour in August and September against the All Blacks, Erasmus said the team’s planning was at an advanced stage. The coaches now look forward to working with the players in person, with the international season kicking off against the Barbarians in Gqeberha (20 June).
The world champions will then face England (4 July, Ellis Park), Scotland (11 July, Loftus Versfeld) and Wales (18 July, Kings Park) in the inaugural Nations Championship home matches.
“The coaches and management staff have been working around the clock to ensure that we are as prepared as possible for what will be a challenging season, and all the operational and logistical aspects are in place for everything to run as smoothly as possible, so we are excited for the season ahead.
“The next step is to start working with the players and getting them into the swing of things, so we are delighted about this opportunity to get everyone aligned.”
Players invited to the first Springbok alignment camp:
Forwards: Eben Etzebeth, Siya Kolisi, Ox Nché, Kai Pratt, Emmanuel Tshituka, Vincent Tshituka (all Sharks), Johan Grobbelaar, Cameron Hanekom, Elrigh Louw, Wilco Louw, Siphosethu Mnebelele, Ruan Nortjé, Gerhard Steenekamp, Marco van Staden, Cobus Wiese, Jan-Hendrik Wessels (all Bulls), Paul de Villiers, Ben-Jason Dixon, Neethling Fouché, Frans Malherbe, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Salmaan Moerat, Riley Norton, Zachary Porthen, Evan Roos (all Stormers), Bathobele Hlekani, Asenathi Ntlabakanye, Ruan Venter (all Lions).
Backs: André Esterhuizen, Aphelele Fassi, Jaden Hendrikse, Jordan Hendrikse, Ethan Hooker, Makazole Mapimpi, Edwill van der Merwe, Grant Williams, Jaco Williams (all Sharks), Kurt-Lee Arendse, Sebastian de Klerk, Cheswill Jooste, Canan Moodie, Handré Pollard (all Bulls), Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Markus Muller, Cobus Reinach, Damian Willemse (all Stormers), Quan Horn, Haashim Pead, Morné van den Berg (all Lions).