Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has announced a comprehensive 49-man squad for the team's first in-person alignment camp of the year, signaling an accelerated planning phase for the 2026 international season and building towards the 2027 Rugby World Cup. The squad, which gathered in Cape Town from Tuesday, March 3, to Friday, March 6, features a strategic blend of seasoned veterans and promising young talent, including 11 uncapped players.

Among the notable inclusions are 14 Rugby World Cup winners, with prop Frans Malherbe making a welcome return after being sidelined since the 2023 final due to back and neck injuries. A significant focus of the camp is the integration of youth, as five players still in the Junior Bok ranks have been invited. This group includes Riley Norton, the 2025 Junior World Championship-winning captain and utility forward, along with his 2025 SA U20 teammates Cheswill Jooste (utility back) and Siphosethu Mnebelele (hooker). Adding to the mix are two players from the 2025 SA U18 squad, Kai Pratt (prop) and Markus Muller (centre), who are currently touring Georgia with the Junior Boks.

Several of these young prospects, including Jooste, Haashim Pead (scrumhalf), and Bathobele Hlekani (utility forward), have already gained some exposure to the Springbok environment, having trained with the senior squad for a week in Johannesburg last season. Other uncapped players receiving their first Springbok alignment camp invitations are Emmanuel Tshituka (utility forward), Jaco Williams (wing), Paul de Villiers (flanker), and Zachary Porthen (prop), who notably made his Test debut against Japan late last year.

The camp itinerary included a series of intensive boardroom and gymnasium sessions, where national coaches briefed players on their strategic plans and expected performance standards for the upcoming season. These sessions also provided invaluable insight into the senior national set-up for the younger players. Following the in-person gathering, a virtual alignment camp with 21 overseas-based players is scheduled, ensuring broad engagement across the squad. A second alignment camp is also planned for May.

Coach Erasmus expressed his satisfaction with the squad's composition, stating, “This is an exciting group of players who have all made a strong statement for their respective provincial unions, and we are delighted to have some of the finest young talent in the country attending the camp to expose them to our environment and structures.” He reiterated the value of early exposure, noting, “Bathobele, Haashim, and Cheswill trained with us for a few days last year, and we saw how valuable that experience was for them, so hopefully, all the young players and those attending their first alignment camp will also gain a greater understanding of how the team operates.” Erasmus highlighted that the team’s planning for the challenging season ahead is already at an advanced stage, with all operational and logistical aspects in place.

Of particular interest is the inclusion of two exceptionally talented teenagers, Kai Pratt and Markus Muller, who are making their way into the Springbok setup even before fully establishing themselves in the senior professional domain. Kai Pratt, a loosehead prop, is recognized as one of South African schoolboy rugby’s most highly regarded front-row prospects. His impressive career includes reaching the U13 Craven Week final selection at age ten, representing SWD at Craven Week across age groups, earning SA Schools honours in 2025, and becoming a capped Junior Springbok. Having signed with the Sharks, his Springbok inclusion could significantly accelerate his pathway to URC involvement.

Markus Muller, a center from Paarl Gimnasium, is considered a generational talent whose rise to the top appears inevitable. Over the past two seasons, he set new benchmarks for schoolboy excellence, scoring over 50 tries for his 1st XV, including multiple hat-tricks and five-try hauls, and delivering decisive performances against top-tier opponents. Muller's unique blend of raw physicality, vision, and composure has drawn comparisons to rugby legends like Danie Gerber, Handré Pollard, and Frans Steyn. A triple leader at school, provincial, and national levels, his record-breaking 2025 campaign, with over 30 tries, earned him recognition as the world’s best schoolboy player. Signed professionally with the Stormers for 2026, his elevation to the Springbok environment is expected to fast-track his progression beyond Western Province’s age-grade ranks.

The Springboks' international season is set to kick off on Saturday, June 20, against the Barbarians in Gqeberha. This will be followed by three local matches in the Nations Championship: against England in Johannesburg (July 4), Scotland in Pretoria (July 11), and Wales in Durban (July 18). Later in the year, they will face Argentina in Buenos Aires (August 8), and the All Blacks in a four-Test Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series during August and September. An away Test against the Wallabies in Australia is scheduled for September 27, before the second leg of the Nations Championship begins in Europe with matches against Italy (November 7), France (November 13), and Ireland (November 21), culminating in the Finals Weekend in London from November 27 to 29.