Overview
- The squad, which departs for Hong Kong on Thursday, includes Nortje for his first appearance of 2026 after a season-long injury layoff.
- Injuries to Christie Grobbelaar, Dewald Human and Gino Cupido forced changes, with Zain Davids returning and Jayden Nell kept in the travelling group.
- Nortje brings a strike rate of 32 tries in 12 tournaments and last played when South Africa won the World Championship stop in Los Angeles in May 2025.
- South Africa enter the championship phase in strong form after winning four of six regular-season events, including recent titles in Vancouver and New York.
- Drawn in Pool A with Uruguay, Spain and Argentina, the Blitzboks play pool matches on April 17–18, and coach Philip Snyman says a back-to-basics reset in Stellenbosch sharpened their push for a first Hong Kong title.