Springboks legend’s blunt advice to New Zealand Rugby on All Blacks selection policy
Naas Botha believes South Africa’s decision to change its selection policy regarding overseas-based players has helped the Springboks and urged New Zealand rugby bosses to do likewise.
The Springboks are currently rated as the leading nation at international level and consolidated their position as the top-ranked team in World Rugby’s official rankings by winning all five of their Autumn Nations Series Tests – against Japan, France, Italy, Ireland and Wales – in emphatic fashion last month.
Under the guidance of their head coach, Rassie Erasmus, the Springboks have been the dominant force in the global game in recent years.
Since he took charge of the Boks in 2018, they have won back-to-back Rugby World Cups in Japan (2019) and France (2023), while also clinching a 2-1 series victory over the British & Irish Lions in South Africa in 2021. They were also crowned Rugby Championship winners in 2024 and 2025.
Meanwhile, the All Blacks, who are statistically the most successful side in the history of Test rugby, have not reached their usual heights, and Botha believes the Boks’ traditional rivals’ fortunes will improve at the Test level when New Zealand Rugby change their selection policy.
The former fly-half, who made 28 Test appearances for the Springboks between 1980 and 1992, appeared on the DSPN podcast with Martin Devlin earlier this week, where he was asked why the Boks have been so successful in recent years, and his response was unequivocal.
“The last number of years, including the two World Cups, before 2019, Rassie took over,” said Botha. “And then we, as you know, we had the policy of not selecting foreign players or players that actually play outside South Africa.
“And then he came in, and he said, ‘Listen, we have to change that’.
“And I know you guys are at the same level that you don’t really play or select players that’s playing in foreign countries. But then I realised after losing twice, 57-something, you can’t always blame coaches.
‘Sometimes you don’t have the talent’
“You can’t always blame the players. Sometimes you have the talent. Sometimes you don’t have the talent.”
Botha, who plied his trade in various countries during his playing career, is convinced that by experiencing the game in different countries against other top players, it made him better as a player and he feels that by selecting overseas-based players, the Springboks’ game has also shown improvement.
“When I saw us selecting whoever is available, because any guy that goes and plays somewhere else, experience it differently. I was fortunate. I played a little bit in Ireland.
“I played in America. I played in Italy against John Kirwan (ex-All Blacks wing). And you can name them, Wayne Smith (ex-All Blacks fly-half).
“And you find different cultures playing differently. And it places a nice mindset. And it puts you at a different level as just playing in your own country.
“That’s the way I feel about it. And I’m a strong believer that whatever the policies are, each country can decide for himself.
“But I still believe what we would love to see as supporters, and Martin, you and I are actually only supporters at the moment. We would love to see the 15 best players against the 15 best players of each country playing whenever they play.
“And that’s the end of it.”
Although Botha understands that each country can select whoever they want, he believes it would benefit New Zealand if they could select players who are based in different countries to play for the All Blacks.
“So, if you guys are ever going to change the policy, I’ve got no idea,” he added. “But I think for the future of the game, because what do you want? It’s what you want your best players to be available.
“Now, let’s say you get a great opportunity to just go and experience rugby in France.
‘I know you need to look after your own product’
“I can’t really see the difference. I know you need to look after your own product. I know that.
“Same in South Africa. We have to look after (it). The NPC people need to look after (it).
“New Zealand need to look after that because that’s where you grow your younger players coming through. For what? To play for the All Blacks one day.
“But in the end, if you’ve got three or four guys playing in France and England and Japan and whatever, and they can strengthen the All Black side, then I don’t see a problem with that.”
The 67-year-old also believes selecting players regardless of where they are based will also help to make rugby more popular around the world.
“If we want to take rugby to the next level and make it a global game, then we must allow the players to play globally,” he explained. “You can’t say to me, ‘Naas, I can only select you if you play in South Africa’. You can’t do that.
“And I know a lot of people might differ with me. They might say, ‘Yeah, but you need to show loyalty’, (but) it’s a professional game.
“That was the thing in the old days, absolutely. But not in the new game.
“The new game is free for all and wherever you want to play and you get an opportunity. And that’s where you get different experiences, different conditions.
“And suddenly, when you play in whatever condition, you might be a little bit more comfortable than just playing in the same conditions against the same players every week in and week out.”