'I know what it takes': Bok star's quest to catch Rassie's eye

SPOTLIGHT: Sharks and Springbok centre Lukhanyo Am opened up on his plans to don the green and gold jersey again.

Am recently returned to the Sharks following a knee injury that kept him out of the international picture during the 2025 season.

He has shown glimpses of his class despite a poor start for the Durbanites in the URC – going down to Glasgow Warriors and having a stalemate against the Dragons.

In 2022, the centre was spoken about as one of the best players in the world.

However, a knee injury against Argentina in the 2023 Rugby Championship saw Am miss out on World Cup selection.

He did, however, return to the squad following the injury to Sharks teammate Makazole Mapimpi against Tonga and earned a second World Cup medal.

The double world champion spoke about his injury challenges and being out of the Springbok picture.

He mentioned the process he followed after his injury and what he needs to do to be up for international selection again.

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“Injuries are one of the challenges that come with this game we love.

“It was tough being out of the Bok picture, but I worked on myself to come back stronger and in a better position.

“It’s mostly the kind of things you focus on as an athlete.

“That’s what I did. I focused on myself.

“To be back in the Bok mix will take game time to regain my form.

“We [the Boks] are the best in the world, and it’s very competitive in that environment.

“Test rugby is a different level, so you need to be thorough.

“I know what it takes to be there, so I just need to work on myself and my game, and hopefully I’ll get that call-up again.”

Despite his absence from the national team, he was still pleased to see his teammates play well and win every championship this season.

He said he is also aware of his current form and what needs to be done to get back to his best.

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“It’s been beautiful to watch and quite amazing seeing the boys bouncing back and playing good rugby.

“Like I said, I know what it requires to get back into the mix and stay there.

“I know where I’m at currently. There’s still work that needs to be done, and that’s my focus at the moment.”

Am will be a key figure this coming weekend for the Sharks against the defending URC champions, Leinster.

The Sharks were boosted by the return of Bok wings Makazole Mapimpi and Ethan Hooker, with Leinster also set to introduce a few big-name players returning to their side.

“These are the type of games you want to play, especially against a quality side like Leinster in their backyard,” Am said.

“It’s in these matches you get the opportunity to measure yourself on where you’re at in your game individually and as a team.”