Rassie selects Springboks team for alignment camp
The aim of the camp is to get the team aligned to the Springboks rugby culture and show them how world rugby champs operate.
Picture: SA Rugby
The time has come for Rassie Erasmus to select and plan for the next four-year rugby cycle, and it all starts with an 'alignment camp'.
What is an 'alignment camp'?
An ‘alignment camp’ allows the coaches to lay down their plans and structures for the year ahead and beyond - it's like team building, rugby edition, to teach the team "wat hulle nie weet nie."
This will be the first of three alignment camps before the upcoming Test season. The other two camps include training sessions, but this one will not.
“We will have the opportunity to present solid structures and the Springbok culture and way of doing things to the invited players. The focus at this camp will be to get everyone on the same page for the 2024 season, and we believe this will lay a good foundation for us looking forward.”
- Rassie Erasmus, Springboks Coach
Erasmus said that he has rewarded those 'who have proven their worth at provincial level'.
In total, 16 uncapped players have been invited to the camp.
The alignment team members are...
The 16 uncapped players feature nine forwards and seven backs.
The nine forwards are Neethling Fouche, Johan Grobbelaar, Celimpilo Gumede, Hanekom, Venter, Marnus van der Merwe, Van Heerden, Venter and Wessels.
The seven backs are Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Hartzenberg, Jordan Hendrikse, Horn, Nohamba, Morne van den Berg and Van Wyk.
The team is made up of 12 Bulls, 11 Stormers, nine Sharks, six Lions, four Japan-based players and one Cheetah.
World Cup winners and Spingboks alums such as Eben Etzebeth, Vincent Koch, Frans Malherbe, Bongi Mbonambi, Malcolm Marx, Ox Nche, Kwagga Smith, Marco van Staden, Lukhanyo Am, Faf de Klerk, Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Jaden Hendrikse, Jesse Kriel, Willie le Roux, Manie Libbok, Makazole Mapimpi, Canan Moodie and Damian Willemse have all been invited to the camp where they will share their insight. 2019 Rugby World Cup winner Herschel Jantjies is also among those included.
Come on Springboks, jou lekker ding!