South African Head Coach Rassie Erasmus has named a 33-man roster for the 2024 Rugby Championship. The World Champions will begin preparations in Johannesburg on Sunday and travel to Australia on Wednesday, July 31.
Twenty-two member of the thirty-three man roster are World Cup champions. There are places for five rookies; They are forwards Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Johan Grobbelaar, Ben-Jason Dixon, and backs Morne van den Berg and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
Ruan Nortje has been recalled after two years. Nortje debuted for the Springboks against Wales in 2022. On the flip side, there are players out through injury. They include forwards Steven Kitshoff, Jean Kleyn, Lood de Jager, Franco Mostert, and backs Faf de Klerk, Jaden Hendrikse, Herschel Jantjies, Canan Moodie, Edwill van der Merwe, and Damian Willemse.
Leicester Tigers N8 Jasper Wiese is serving a suspension for foul play against the Exeter Chiefs. Harlequins center Andre Esterhuizen is likely to be suspended following his red card against Portugal this past Saturday in Bloemfontein.
The Springboks open the 2024 Rugby Championship away to the Wallabies in Brisbane, Australia. The August 10 match will be followed by a second Australia vs South Africa fixture, this time in Perth on the West Coast on August 17.
The tournament will be played in three stages. The first for the World Champions is the Springboks’ Australian tour, the second at home against New Zealand and the third a home-and-away series against Argentina. South Africa’s home matches will be against New Zealand in Johannesburg on August 31, September 07 in Cape Town and against Argentina in Nelspruit on September 28.
SOUTH AFRICA – FORWARDS
Ben-Jason Dixon (Stormers), Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz, JP), Thomas du Toit (Bath, UK), Eben Etzebeth (Sharks), Johan Grobbelaar (Bulls), Vincent Koch (Sharks), Siya Kolisi (Racing 92, FR), Elrigh Louw (Bulls), Frans Malherbe (Stormers), Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears, JP), Bongi Mbonambi (Sharks), Salmaan Moerat (Stormers), Ox Nche (Sharks), Ruan Nortje (Bulls), Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs, JP), RG Snyman (Leinster, IE), Gerhard Steenekamp (Bulls), Marco van Staden (Bulls), Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Bulls).
SOUTH AFRICA – BACKS
Lukhanyo Am (Sharks), Kurt-Lee Arendse (Bulls), Damian de Allende (Wild Knights, JP), Aphelele Fassi (Sharks), Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (Stormers), Cheslin Kolbe (Suntory Sungoliath, JP), Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles, JP), Willie le Roux (Bulls), Makazole Mapimpi (Sharks), Manie Libbok (Stormers), Handre Pollard (Leicester Tigers, UK), Cobus Reinach (Montpellier, FR), Morne van den Berg (Lions), Grant Williams (Sharks).
Source link : https://www.americasrugbynews.com/2024/07/23/world-champions-south-africa-name-roster-for-2024-rugby-championship/
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Publish date : 2024-07-23 11:50:43
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