Bok boss’ message to players: ‘We need to grow to stay at forefront’

What worked for the Springboks in 2023 won’t work in 2024 or at the 2027 World Cup.

That will be the message from Bok coach Rassie Erasmus to the 43 players gathered in Cape Town this week for the first alignment camp of the year.

The Bok coaching team, led by Erasmus and now also including foreign imports Tony Brown and Jerry Flannery, got the week-long camp under way on Monday with a two-day planning session, with the players joining from Wednesday.

While the Boks won the 2019 World Cup and followed it up with another title in France last year — to become the first team to win four World Cups — Erasmus is sure to change things up from this season as the Boks look to make it three in a row in 2027.

Plenty has to happen before Erasmus settles on a group to go to the 2027 World Cup but the fact he has invited 16 uncapped players to the year’s first alignment camp suggests the Bok boss is perhaps looking to freshen up the team.

Uncapped players

The 16 rookies involved in the planning this week are: (forwards) Neethling Fouche, Johan Grobbelaar, Celimpilo Gumede, Cameron Hanekom, Ruan Venter, Marnus van der Merwe, Ruan van Heerden, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Andre-Hugo Venter and (backs) Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Suleiman Hartzenberg, Jordan Hendrikse, Quan Horn, Sanele Nohamba, Morne van den Berg and Henco van Wyk.

Erasmus said he was thrilled about getting the chance to speak to all the players at the year’s first alignment camp.

“As a coaching team we have a good idea of what we’d like to do this season and we are excited to present our key pillars to this group of players,” said Erasmus.

“This is a solid group of players, and these camps will be invaluable in putting the groundwork in place – not only for this season but also to set the tone in terms of where we’d like to take our game going forward.”

‘Grow as a team’

The Bok boss added the world champions would have to evolve and innovate to stay ahead of their competitors.

“The sport is progressing at a rapid rate, and we must grow as a team to remain at the forefront of where rugby is moving,” said Erasmus.

“We made it clear last year that what we did in 2019 would not be enough to defend our title at the 2023 World Cup, and the same concept applies after last year’s international spectacle.”

No Europe-based Boks, including the likes of captain Siya Kolisi, centres Andre Esterhuizen and Damian de Allende, flyhalf Handre Pollard, No 8 Jasper Wiese and prop Steven Kitshoff, are part of the camp in Cape Town.

The Boks open their 2024 season with a one-off Test against Wales at Twickenham at the end of June and follow that up with a two-Test series against Ireland in early July, before taking on Portugal for the first time. The Rugby Championship will follow from August.