Papier named alongside several SA U20s in Bok alignment camp
SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT: Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus named a “purpose and goal-driven” 40-man squad on Wednesday.
This marks the team’s second in-person alignment camp, which will take place in Cape Town next week and will feature two players invited to their first camp: Sibabalwe Mahashe and Zekhethelo Siyaya.
Embrose Papier, Francke Horn, Andre-Hugo Venter, and Henco van Wyk, who have all attended alignment camps in the past, have also been included in the group.
With several experienced national players who have been in the set-up for several seasons, sidelined due to injury, Erasmus said the purpose of this camp was to expose these players to the team’s structures and systems with an eye on the next two seasons, and beyond.
A second virtual alignment camp will take place following the conclusion of this session.
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The camp squad – which comprises 25 forwards and 15 backline players – will run from Tuesday, May 19 to Thursday, May 21, and includes 10 uncapped players in Paul de Villiers, Bathobele Hlekani, Francke Horn, Mahashe, Riley Norton, Haashim Pead, Siyaya, Emmanuel Tshituka, Van Wyk and Jaco Williams, six of whom were invited to the first alignment camp in March.
The international season will start with a double-header in Gqeberha on Saturday, June 20, when the Boks face the Barbarians and the SA ‘A’ team take on Zimbabwe, before three home matches in the Nations Championship – against England in Johannesburg (July 4), Scotland in Pretoria (July 11), and Wales in Durban (July 18).
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They will then meet Argentina in Buenos Aires (August 8) and the All Blacks in four Tests in the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series in August and September.
An away Test against the Wallabies in Australia (September 27) follows, before the second leg of the Nations Championship kicks off in Europe, with matches against Italy (November 7), France (November 13) and Ireland (November 21), ahead of the Finals Weekend in London (November 27-29).
Players invited to the second in-person Springbok alignment camp:
Forwards: Paul de Villiers, Ben-Jason Dixon, Neethling Fouche, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Salmaan Moerat, Riley Norton, Zachary Porthen, Evan Roos, Andre-Hugo Venter (all Stormers); Bathobele Hlekani, Francke Horn, Sibabalwe Mahashe, Asenathi Ntlabakanye (all Lions); Johan Grobbelaar, Cameron Hanekom, Elrigh Louw, Wilco Louw, Ruan Nortje, Gerhard Steenekamp, Marco van Staden, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Cobus Wiese (all Bulls); Siya Kolisi, Ox Nche, Emmanuel Tshituka (all Sharks)
Backs: Kurt-Lee Arendse, Canan Moodie, Embrose Papier, Handre Pollard (all Bulls); Andre Esterhuizen, Zekhethelo Siyaya, Edwill van der Merwe, Grant Williams, Jaco Williams (all Sharks); Quan Horn, Haashim Pead, Henco van Wyk, Morne van den Berg (all Lions); Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Damian Willemse (both Stormers).
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