Back on the park: Where and when each Bok player will return to action

So, what’s next on the to-do list for the Rugby World Cup-winning Springboks?

After a compulsory three-week break from all rugby, it is expected that the 35 players who featured for South Africa at the World Cup in France will return to action for their respective clubs, franchises and provinces in South Africa, Europe and Japan.

They will next feature in the United Rugby Championship, the English Premiership, the French Top 14 and the Japanese Top League.

Malcolm Marx (knee surgery), who was injured in the second week of the World Cup in France, won’t be in action for months so his Japanese club, Kubota Spears, will have to exercise plenty of patience. But the other Bok player who picked up an injury in France, Makazole Mapimpi (broken cheekbone), should be back in action in the coming weeks.

RG Snyman

One player who will not play any time soon is lock RG Snyman, from Munster, who has apparently undergone more surgery, this time to fix a chest/shoulder problem picked up in the World Cup final against New Zealand nearly two weeks ago now.

Snyman has struggled badly with injuries in recent years, having two knee operations, which kept him out of the game for nearly three years.

But, besides the fact lock Eben Etzebeth and flyhalf Handre Pollard will soon become dads for the first time, the rest of the World Cup-winning Bok squad should be back in action for their respective teams by months’ end.

Europe-based Boks

Captain Siya Kolisi will run out for his new team, Racing 92, where Trevor Nyakane also plays, while Steven Kitshoff will also feature for a new team, Ulster, in the United Rugby Championship.

No less than 11 members of the World Cup squad play their rugby in Europe.

The Japanese leagues are also well under way and there are eight winners from France who play in the far east, among them Cheslin Kolbe, Kwagga Smith, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Franco Mostert.

Sixteen players from the squad though ply their trade in South Africa and the Bulls, Sharks and Stormers will be keen to get their players back into action in the United Rugby Championship, which is now already three rounds in.

Sharks coach John Plumtree is awaiting the return of a whopping eight players, more than half a starting team, while the Stormers’ John Dobson will be keen to get back four players, including Manie Libbok, Damian Willemse and Deon Fourie.

The Bulls will, among other players returning, now also be able to call on Willie le Roux, who has returned to South Africa after previously playing in Japan.

Teams of the World Cup winners

Playing in South Africa

Kurt-Lee Arendse (Bulls), Canan Moodie (Bulls), Marco van Staden (Bulls), Willie le Roux (Bulls), Bongi Mbonambi (Sharks), Eben Etzebeth (Sharks), Vincent Koch (Sharks), Ox Nche (Sharks), Jaden Hendrikse (Sharks), Grant Williams (Sharks), Lukhanyo Am (Sharks), Makazole Mapimpi (Sharks), Frans Malherbe (Stormers), Deon Fourie (Stormers), Manie Libbok (Stormers), Damian Willemse (Stormers)

Playing in Japan

Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears), Franco Mostert (Mie Honda Heat), Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz), Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs), Faf de Klerk (Yokohama Canon Eagles), Damian de Allende (Saitama Wild Knights), Jesse Kriel (Yokohama Wild Knights), Cheslin Kolbe (Tokyo Sungoliath)

Playing in Europe

Steven Kitshoff (Ulster), Trevor Nyakane (Racing 92), Jean Kleyn (Munster), Marvin Orie (Perpignan), RG Snyman (Munster), Siya Kolisi (Racing 92), Jasper Wiese (Leicester Tigers), Cobus Reinach (Montpellier), Handre Pollard (Leicester Tigers), Andre Esterhuizen (Harlequins)

Duane Vermeulen (unattached)