“With the Springboks unveiling a trimmed 45-man squad for the upcoming mid-year internationals, we break down the standout winners and those who missed out.”
The reigning world champions will kick off their campaign with a landmark clash against the Barbarians in Cape Town, followed by consecutive international showdowns with Italy.
The Springboks will next face Georgia in a standalone Test match before launching their Rugby Championship title defence.
After fielding 50 players in Test matches last year, head coach Rassie Erasmus continues to explore his options, naming seven uncapped players in his latest squad as preparations begin for the new season.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the biggest winners and those left disappointed by the latest squad selection.
Winners
Boan Venter
At 28, Edinburgh front-rower prop Nathan Venter stands out as the sole new face in the Springboks’ trimmed 45-man squad. With regular loosehead options Gerhard Steenekamp and Ntuthuko Mchunu sidelined through injury, Venter now has a prime chance to earn his first Test cap for South Africa.
Known for his physicality, solid set-piece work, and strong contributions around the park, Venter has consistently impressed at club level and now hopes to replicate that form in the green and gold.
The former Cheetahs standout joined Edinburgh in 2021 following two seasons in Bloemfontein. While he initially moved with ambitions of representing Scotland, his inclusion in the Boks squad comes as a pleasant surprise.
That background, however, will matter little to head coach Rassie Erasmus, as Venter edges closer to a potential Test debut in the coming weeks.
Evan Roos
After being overlooked for May’s alignment camp and omitted from the initial 54-man squad named earlier this month, Evan Roos has now made a return to the Springboks setup following his call-up last week.
The 25-year-old number eight has experienced a stop-start journey with the national team since his debut against Wales in 2022. However, with Elrigh Hanekom and Juarno Augustus currently sidelined by injury, Roos is once again in contention for a place in the matchday squad.
A powerful ball-carrier who also makes a strong impact on defence and at the breakdown, Roos will be eager to seize this latest opportunity and re-establish himself in the green and gold under Rassie Erasmus.
Jasper Wiese
The 29-year-old was the Springboks’ first choice number eight in 2024 but suffered a neck injury earlier this year which required surgery and there were fears that he would not be in action at Test level in 2025.
However, the 34-cap international’s recovery has gone ahead of schedule and he is expected to be available for selection for the Boks’ clash with the Barbarians in Cape Town at the end of this month.
A fully fit Wiese will bolster the Boks against sides like the Baa-baas, Azzurri and Lelos and if he comes through those encounters unscathed, he will be a key player for the Boks against tougher opposition in the Rugby Championship later in the year.
Other uncapped players in the squad
With two Tests against Italy and one against Georgia looming on the horizon, Erasmus is expected to hand Test debuts to the seven uncapped internationals in his squad.
Six of those newbies are amongst the forwards with the aforementioned Venter one of three props along with Neethling Fouche of the Stormers and Asenathi Ntlabakanye of the Lions.
Also amongst the group of potential debutants are Scarlets hooker Marnus van der Merwe, Bulls utility forward Cobus Wiese and Sharks duo Vincent Tshituka (back-row) and Ethan Hooker (utility back) with the latter being the only uncapped back in the group.
Rassie Erasmus
Although the Boks boss has lost several players to injury, he will be happy with the overall look to his squad as he continues his mission of building depth ahead of their title defence at the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.
Erasmus has done well to mix the old with the new and will be excited about the prospect of blooding some new internationals over the next few weeks.
Meanwhile, he can still rely on his old guard like skipper Siya Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth, Faf de Klerk, Damian de Allende, Jesse Kriel, Franco Mostert, Handre Pollard, Willie le Roux and Makazole Mapimpi, whose experience will be invaluable throughout the international season.
Losers
Cameron Hanekom
The young Bulls number eight has been one of the Pretoria-based side’s shining lights during their run to the United Rugby Championship and is one of the most exciting players on the South African rugby scene.
His excellent form was rewarded when he was named the United Rugby Championship’s Next-Gen Player of the Season and there was plenty of excitement over his progress in the international arena after he made his debut for the Boks in their final Test of 2024 against Wales.
However, Hanekom will not be adding to his international caps anytime soon as Erasmus revealed that he is one of five players who are unlikely to play for the Boks in 2025 due to long-term injuries.
This, after Hanekom sustained a serious hamstring injury in the Bulls’ United Rugby Championship victory over the Sharks after after a clean-out at a breakdown by Boks skipper Siya Kolisi.
Juarno Augustus
The Ulster-bound number eight was one of Northampton Saints’ star performers during their 2024/25 campaign but missed out on the Premiership outfit’s loss to Bordeaux-Begles due to a back injury.
He has not completely recovered from that injury and has not received medical clearance from Ulster yet which means he can’t play for his country until the URC outfit provides that.
It means Augustus will not be considered for the Springboks Tests against Italy and Georgia in July, although he could make his eagerly anticipated Test debut in the Rugby Championship later in the year.
Hendrikse brothers
Although both Jaden and Jordan Hendrikse have not let the Springboks down at Test level, they were amongst a group of five players who were released from the squad who assembled in Johannesburg on Sunday afternoon.
The Hendrikse brothers are talented players but with the likes of De Klerk, Cobus Reinach, Grant Williams, Manie Libbok, Handre Pollard and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu also in the mix, it is understandable that they missed out on selection.
However, the Sharks’ half-back duo are talented players who will both play for the Boks again and we expect to see them back in the mix for the world champions at some point this year.
Other released players
Apart from the Hendrikse siblings, exciting Lions duo Quan Horn (full-back), Renzo du Plessis (back-row) and the Cheetahs’ new signing Ntokozo Makhaza (utility back) have also been released to their clubs.
Of the inexperienced trio, Horn is the only one who has international experience after making his Boks debut against Portugal in Bloemfontein last year.
However, all three are exciting players and Erasmus recently said Makhaza will ‘definitely’ play for the Springboks one day. One gets the feeling that the same applies to Du Plessis while Horn should also add to his solitary Test cap.
Other injured players
Apart from Hanekom, the four other Boks players who Erasmus believes will not be in action for the world champions this year are props Trevor Nyakane and Frans Malherbe, and loose forwards Deon Fourie and Elrigh Louw.
Meanwhile, Steenekamp and Mchunu are also crocked which has resulted in the uncapped Venter being parachuted into the squad.
Apart from the those players, experienced centre Lukhanyo Am is also sidelined with an unspecified knock while fellow double Rugby World Cup winner Pieter Steph du Toit (utility forward) is still recovering from shoulder surgery which has ruled him out since January.
