Bok coach Erasmus names 37-man squad for Rugby Championship matches against Wallabies
Rassie Erasmus admitted that cutting his squad from 46 to 37 players wasn’t an easy task and that he went through a thorough process to narrow it down to the final group.
South Africa's head coach Rassie Erasmus holds a ball ahead of the international rugby union Test match between South Africa and Italy at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha on 12 July 2025. Picture: by PHILL MAGAKOE/AFP
JOHANNESBURG - Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus named a 37-man squad for the first two Rugby Championship Test matches against Australia in August.
The selected group includes 24 Rugby World Cup winners and five players who made their Test debuts this year in the matches against Italy and Georgia.
Loose forward Jasper Wiese is unavailable as he is serving a four-match suspension, while prop Thomas du Toit has been granted a compulsory two-week rest period.
World Cup winners, Lukhanyo Am, who missed the July Tests due to a knee injury, Faf de Klerk, Makazole Mapimpi, along with Salmaan Moerat, Evan Roos, Neethling Fouche, and Vincent Tshituka have been placed on a standby list and will be released to their respective franchises to build up game time.
Erasmus admitted that cutting his squad from 46 to 37 players wasn’t an easy task and that he went through a thorough process to narrow it down to the final group.
"It’s always challenging to reduce the squad, especially given how the expanded group of players put up their hands during the Incoming Series, but we always said we would select a smaller, more manageable squad during the Rugby Championship. This group includes several experienced players and a few younger guys, who grabbed their chances in the last few Tests, so we are pleased with this squad for the first two matches," said Erasmus.
In addition, Erasmus has invited three Junior Springbok players - Bathobele Hlekani, Cheswill Jooste, and Haashim Pead - to train with the senior team after their successful World Rugby Under 20 Championship in Italy earlier in July. Erasmus said this would be an opportunity for them to become accustomed to the Springbok environment.
"We are tremendously proud of the Junior Springboks for winning the World Rugby U20 Championship and we were thrilled to see the talent coming through the junior ranks, so we opted to invite three of them to join us to expose them to our structures and the standards required at top international level," said Erasmus.
The Springboks will face the Wallabies in Johannesburg on Saturday, 16 August, and again a week later in Cape Town on 23 August.
Springbok squad for the Castle Lager Rugby Championship Tests against Australia:
Forwards: Lood de Jager, Pieter-Steph du Toi, Jean-Luc du Preez, Eben Etzebeth, Vincent Koch, Siya Kolisi, Wilco Lou, Malcolm Marx, Bongi Mbonambi, Franco Mostert, Ox Nche, Ruan Nortje, Asenathi Ntlabakanye, Kwagga Smith, RG Snyman, Marnus van der Merwe, Marco van Staden, Boan Venter, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Cobus Wiese.
Backs: Kurt-Lee Arendse, Damian de Allende, Andre Esterhuizen, Aphelele Fassi, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Ethan Hooker, Jesse Kriel, Cheslin Kolbe, Willie le Roux, Manie Libbok, Canan Moodie, Handre Pollard, Cobus Reinach, Edwill van der Merwe, Morne van den Berg, Grant Williams, Damian Willemse.