Cobus Wiese: 'Sharing a Springbok jersey with my brother is gold'
Since he joined the Bulls in 2024, Cobus Wiese has spoken openly about two ambitions: earning a Springbok call-up and sharing the field with his older brother, Jasper, in the green and gold.
The brothers, who grew up on a farm in South Africa’s Northern Cape, spent their childhood building the toughness that would eventually carry them to international rugby. Long before professional gyms became part of their routine, their strength was forged through physical work on the farm.
Jasper was the first to reach the Springboks, making his Test debut against Georgia at Loftus Versfeld on July 2, 2021. Since then, he has made that role his own in recent seasons and currently plays a vital role in the Bok pack. His absence through suspension last season briefly exposed just how valuable he had become.
While Jasper cemented his place, Cobus quietly built his own case.
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A younger player steps up, performs impressively, and almost immediately the debate begins: Is it time for the veteran to make way?https://t.co/u8HaL2rLO7
— Rugby365 (@rugby365com) August 5, 2026
After moving to Sale Sharks in 2020, he developed into a versatile forward capable of playing both lock and loose forward, making almost 80 appearances for the Premiership club.
Since joining the Bulls in 2024, he never hid what motivated him.
“It is a short-term goal for me to get into the Bok squad,” he said at the time.
“It is definitely a dream of ours to play together one day and it being for the Springboks will be the number one prize.”
They first played a Test together against Italy on July 12, 2025, in Gqeberha, becoming the 37th pair of siblings to represent South Africa. While Jasper had already debuted in 2021, this match marked Cobus’s international debut.
It was a debut seven years in the making, after he was originally called into a wider Springbok squad back in 2018, only to suffer a serious neck injury that scuppered his early Bok aspirations.
Reflecting on sharing the field with Jasper for the first time in a Springbok jersey, Cobus admitted the experience was difficult to put into words.
“Jasper and I, and I believe our whole family, are immensely proud and grateful for the opportunity. Doing it once is special, but if we have the privilege, stay fit and injury-free and can do it a few more times, that’ll be gold for us.
“I’m immensely proud to share a Springbok jersey with my brother. I’m still a bit lost for words in terms of how proud and grateful we are.”
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While Jasper remains one of the world’s premier No.8s, Cobus has emerged as one of the standout performers of the Springboks’ 2026 campaign. His ability to cover both lock and flank has quickly made him one of Erasmus’ most valuable selection options.
“At the moment I’m probably more a lock that can cover at loose forward,” Cobus explained.
“If you get a chance to play in a Springbok team, you’ll play wherever they want you and execute your job.”
That versatility has also allowed him to learn from one of the game’s greatest utility forwards, Pieter-Steph du Toit.
“Pieter-Steph isn’t someone who says a lot. He leads by example. When he speaks, you listen because he’s been through almost every situation in rugby.
“I’m pinching myself playing alongside world-class players. You just try to follow their example.”
For the Wiese family, however, statistics and positions matter less than the moment itself.
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