
The Boks are now just over 30 days away from getting their season going, with a match against the Barbarians in Gqeberha.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has named his second alignment group ahead of the 2026 international season, with 40 players invited to a camp in Cape Town next week.
The Boks kick off their season with a match against the Barbarians in Gqeberha on 20 June before turning their attention to the newly formed Nations Championship and matches against England, Scotland and Wales in South Africa in July.
In August the world champions welcome the All Blacks to the country for a full tour, including three Tests, with a fourth Test set for Baltimore in the USA.
Two players will attend their first camp with the Boks, namely flanker Siba Mahashe of the Lions and Zekhethelo Siyaya, fullback of the Sharks.
Embrose Papier, Francke Horn, Andre-Hugo Venter and Henco van Wyk have also cracked invites to the camp.
This will be the second in-person camp of the pre-season. A second virtual alignment camp, with the overseas-based players, will be hosted following this camp next week.
The squad includes 25 forwards and 15 backs and the camp will run from Tuesday next week to Thursday. There is no URC rugby next week.
The 10 uncapped players in the group are: Horn, Mahashe, Siyaya, Van Wyk, Paul de Villiers, Bathobele Hlekani, Riley Norton, Haashim Pead, Emmanuel Tshituka, and Jaco Williams.
No players who play their rugby in Japan and Europe were considered for this camp.
Players invited to camp:
Forwards: Paul de Villiers, Ben-Jason Dixon, Neethling Fouche, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Salmaan Moerat, Riley Norton, Zachary Porthen, Evan Roos, Andre-Hugo Venter (all Stormers); Bathobele Hlekani, Francke Horn, Sibabalwe Mahashe, Asenathi Ntlabakanye (all Lions); Johan Grobbelaar, Cameron Hanekom, Elrigh Louw, Wilco Louw, Ruan Nortje, Gerhard Steenekamp, Marco van Staden, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Cobus Wiese (all Bulls); Siya Kolisi, Ox Nche, Emmanuel Tshituka (all Sharks).
Backs: Kurt-Lee Arendse, Canan Moodie, Embrose Papier, Handre Pollard (all Bulls); Andre Esterhuizen, Zekhethelo Siyaya, Edwill van der Merwe, Grant Williams, Jaco Williams (all Sharks); Quan Horn, Haashim Pead, Henco van Wyk, Morne van den Berg (all Lions); Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Damian Willemse (both Stormers).
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