The South African Rugby Union on Wednesday named 51 players who have been called to a national team planning session at the start of next month. The players will attend two days of meetings and logistical discussions in the first of three national camps in preparation for the international season.

SA Rugby

“SARU’s priority is first and foremost with Springbok preparations in this Rugby World Cup year and with the support of the provinces our national teams department has been able to plan three squad get-togethers during Vodacom Super Rugby,” explained Jurie Roux, SARU CEO.

“There are many demands on the Springboks as well as off-field operational matters to be attended to in a Rugby Wold Cup year and as part of Peter de Villiers’ long-term planning he requested that time be made now so that the team can get straight to on-field work once they gather for the first Tests of the year in July.”

De Villiers said: “Our first Tri-Nations Test kicks off only two weeks after the Vodacom Super Rugby final and I wanted to make sure that we can get straight to work on the field with some quality preparation when we get together and not be compromised by players familiarising themselves with our structures or understanding logistical issues.

“By the end of this series of camps I hope that any of the players we call on will be familiar with our on and off the field systems and the logistical boxes have all been ticked. These sessions are not about selection now – they’re about being ready when we make the final selections.”

The selectors named seven uncapped players in the planning group although only three of them are not already Springboks: wing Lionel Mapoe, scrumhalf Sarel Pretorius and looseforward Duane Vermeulen.

The four uncapped Springboks among the group are flyhalf Elton Jantjies, scrumhalf Charl McLeod and props Coenie Oosthuizen and Werner Kruger. All four appeared for the Springboks against the Barbarians in December, 2010. Overseas based players were not considered for the sessions.

The closed planning session will take place in Cape Town on May 1 and 2.

The first Springbok squad of the season will be named on July 2 or 9, depending on South African representation in the Vodacom Super Rugby final.

The players called to the national team planning session are (in alphabetical order):

 

Player Province Tests
Willem Alberts The Sharks 3
Gio Aplon DHL Western Province 13
Bjorn Basson Vodacom Blue Bulls 4
Andries Bekker DHL Western Province 24
Bakkies Botha Vodacom Blue Bulls 72
Heinrich Brüssow Toyota Free State Cheetahs 13
Schalk Burger DHL Western Province 63
Keegan Daniel The Sharks 1
Juan de Jongh DHL Western Province 6
Jean de Villiers DHL Western Province 67
Bismarck du Plessis The Sharks 36
Jannie du Plessis The Sharks 24
Fourie du Preez Vodacom Blue Bulls 55
Jaque Fourie DHL Western Province 62
Peter Grant DHL Western Province 5
Bryan Habana DHL Western Province 68
Alistair Hargreaves The Sharks 2
Francois Hougaard Vodacom Blue Bulls 8
Adi Jacobs The Sharks 32
Elton Jantjies MTN Golden Lions
Ricky Januarie DHL Western Province 47
Ryan Kankowski The Sharks 17
Zane Kirchner Vodacom Blue Bulls 14
Werner Kruger Vodacom Blue Bulls
Pat Lambie The Sharks 4
Francois Louw DHL Western Province 7
Bandise Maku MTN Golden Lions 1
Lionel Mapoe MTN Golden Lions
Victor Matfield Vodacom Blue Bulls 105
Charl McLeod The Sharks
Tendai Mtawarira The Sharks 26
Waylon Murray MTN Golden Lions 3
Lwazi Mvovo The Sharks 2
Odwa Ndungane The Sharks 7
Wynand Olivier Vodacom Blue Bulls 31
Coenie Oosthuizen Toyota Free State Cheetahs
JP Pietersen The Sharks 36
Dewaldt Potgieter Vodacom Blue Bulls 6
Sarel Pretorius GWK Griquas
Chiliboy Ralepelle Vodacom Blue Bulls 18
Danie Rossouw Vodacom Blue Bulls 54
John Smit The Sharks 102
Juan Smith Toyota Free State Cheetahs 69
Pierre Spies Vodacom Blue Bulls 40
Gurthrö Steenkamp Vodacom Blue Bulls 31
Deon Stegmann Vodacom Blue Bulls 4
Morné Steyn Vodacom Blue Bulls 25
Adriaan Strauss Toyota Free State Cheetahs 9
CJ van der Linde DHL Western Province 69
Flip van der Merwe Vodacom Blue Bulls 10
Duane Vermeulen DHL Western Province

34 Responses to Players named for national team planning session

  • 31

    Frankly, I am anxious to remain ahead of GBS on superBru…… 😆

  • 32

    ……… and keen to lift the top RT prize, the tin of condensed milk.

  • 33

    @ Blue Bird:30 – BB, Go with Lions. Lions by 3.

  • 34

    @ Puma:
    Hi Puma, they do have the home advantage…..thanks.
    I was dithering there! 🙂

    4man and I are enjoying the most fab weather here in the UK, so I must go and see some more sun now.

    Night All

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