Rassie Erasmus’ verdict on first Springboks alignment camp and 11 uncapped players
Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus and an inset of Batho Hlekani
Rassie Erasmus says that the 11 uncapped players invited to the first Springboks alignment camp of the year won’t all make their debuts in 2026, but believes that they have the potential to pull on the Green and Gold jersey one day.
The head coach hosted the first alignment camp of the year this week in Cape Town, with 49 locally-based players present for the three days, which included a series of detailed boardroom sessions about the key areas of the game and the coaches expectations, as well as the macroplan for the 2026 international season.
Rassie’s reaction to the first alignment camp of 2026
Erasmus expressed his delight in how the three days went, having got face-to-face time with the players for the first time this year.
“It’s the first time we’ve been in person together, and as coaches and management, we’ve been doing a lot of work behind the scenes, so it was nice to see everyone face-to-face and explain the operational aspects for the year, as well as the coaching areas, which is probably the most important,” the Springboks boss said.
“Most of the coaches and management are feeling comfortable that we got across what we think the players should know at this stage, and that means they can start working on some of the things that we’re expecting from them when they get to the next alignment camp.”
Erasmus was honoured on Thursday evening at the SA Rugby Awards, picking up the Coach of the Year gong as well as a special accolade after being just the second coach to reach 50 Test caps, following in the footsteps of Jake White.
The head coach has repeatedly stated that an invite to a Bok alignment camp does not result in a Test debut but he and the coaching team believe that the 11 uncapped players who did attend the proceedings in Cape Town have the potential to make that step up in the future.
But for now, the camp served its purpose to illustrate to those hopefuls what is required of them to reach the highest level and it would set them in good stead as they harbour hopes of playing their way into the national team.
“There were eleven uncapped players, and although not all of them will get a chance to play this year, that’s beside the point,” said Erasmus.
“The key was to get to know their personalities and for them to start feeling comfortable in the environment, and we are very excited about what they can deliver.
“We all think they have the potential to play for the Springboks one day, and this is only the first step for them to start understanding our systems, and obviously for the older players to see the young guys coming through to keep everybody at peak performance, so nothing can be taken for granted.”
“Can’t wait for the season to start.”
SA Rugby confirmed that a second camp will be hosted in the Mother City in May whilst a virtual alignment camp with 21 overseas-based players will also take place.
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The first official training camp of the year will be in Johannesburg in June before the Springboks’ bumper 2026 season commences which includes 13 Test matches, and an international against the Barbarians in Gqeberha on Saturday 20 June at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
“There’s still a lot of important Vodacom United Rugby Championship games to play, but after sitting in the room together, we can’t wait for the season to start,” Erasmus added.
“It was fantastic to see the excitement in general, and players like Frans (Malherbe), who we spoke to for the first time in a while, and guys like Kai Pratt, Markus Muller, and the other young guys, and to witness their excitement levels first-hand. I think some of them are very nervous, but overall, the excitement is great, and we can’t wait for the season to start.”
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