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Erasmus names 26-strong squad to begin South Africa's Rugby Championship preparations

South African coach Rassie Erasmus is ramping up preparations for his team's busy 2019 schedule (Photo by MB Media/Getty Images)

Rassie Erasmus has commenced South Africa’s countdown to the World Cup later this year in Japan by gathering a group of 26 players together in Pretoria. 

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The Springboks’ Test calendar gets underway on July 20 with a home fixture against Australia in the Rugby Championship and Erasmus has used the elimination of the remaining South African teams from the Super Rugby knockout stages to random up preparations.      

The group of 26, who will be involved in what is described as a national alignment and conditioning camp, will be completed on Monday when players from the Bulls and the Sharks, the two South African quarter-final teams who were beaten on Saturday in their Super Rugby play-offs, join in.

The Springboks kick off their shortened Championship campaign in four weeks’ time against the Wallabies in Johannesburg, a match will be followed a week later by the keenly awaited showdown with New Zealand in Wellington, the scene of last year’s epic away win over against the All Blacks.

The Boks conclude their official campaign against Argentina two weeks later, on August 10 in Salta, while the same two teams are set to meet again a week later in Pretoria in a once-off Test before the Boks report for Rugby World Cup training duty.

The following players are attending the Springbok alignment and conditioning camp from Sunday in Pretoria:

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Forwards (16): Schalk Brits (Bulls), Marcell Coetzee (Ulster), Lood de Jager (Bulls), Pieter-Steph du Toit (Stormers), Rynardt Elstadt (Toulouse), Eben Etzebeth (Stormers), Steven Kitshoff (Stormers), Vincent Koch (Saracens), Siya Kolisi (Stormers), Frans Malherbe (Stormers), Malcolm Marx (Lions), Bongi Mbonambi (Stormers), Tendai Mtawarira (Sharks), Franco Mostert (Gloucester), Marvin Orie (Lions), Kwagga Smith (Lions);

Backs (10): Damian de Allende (Stormers), Faf de Klerk (Sale), Aphiwe Dyantyi (Lions), Elton Jantjies (Lions), Herschel Jantjies (Stormers), Cheslin Kolbe (Toulouse), Dillyn Lleyds (Stormers), Willie le Roux (Verblitz), Cobus Reinach (Northampton), Frans Steyn (Montpellier).

WATCH: Part one of the two-part RugbyPass documentary on what fans can expect in Japan at this year’s World Cup

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J
JW 1 hour ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Where? I remember saying "unders"? The LNR was formed by the FFR, if I said that in a way that meant the 'pro' side of the game didn't have an equal representation/say as the 'amateur' side (FFR remit) that was not my intent.


But also, as it is the governing body, it also has more responsibility. As long as WR looks at FFR as the running body for rugby in France, that 'power' will remain. If the LNR refuses to govern their clubs use of players to enable a request by FFR (from WR) to ensure it's players are able to compete in International rugby takes place they will simply remove their participation. If the players complain to the France's body, either of their health and safety concerns (through playing too many 'minutes' etc) or that they are not allowed to be part in matches of national interest, my understanding is action can be taken against the LNR like it could be any other body/business. I see where you're coming from now re EPCR and the shake up they gave it, yes, that wasn't meant to be a separate statement to say that FFR can threaten them with EPCR expulsion by itself, simply that it would be a strong repercussion for those teams to be removed (no one would want them after the above).


You keep bringing up these other things I cannot understand why. Again, do you think if the LNR were not acting responsibly they would be able to get away with whatever they want (the attitude of these posters saying "they pay the players")? You may deem what theyre doing currently as being irresponsible but most do not. Countries like New Zealand have not even complained about it because they've never had it different, never got things like windfall TV contracts from France, so they can't complain because theyre not missing out on anything. Sure, if the French kept doing things like withholding million dollar game payments, or causing millions of dollars of devaluation in rights, they these things I'm outlining would be taking place. That's not the case currently however, no one here really cares what the French do. It's upto them to sort themselves out if they're not happy. Now, that said, if they did make it obvious to World Rugby that they were never going to send the French side away (like they possibly did stating their intent to exclude 20 targeted players) in July, well then they would simply be given XV fixtures against tier 2 sides during that window and the FFR would need to do things like the 50/50 revenue split to get big teams visiting in Nov.

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