Overview
- On Wednesday, July 22, Rassie Erasmus named a 43‑player training group that will assemble in Johannesburg before a one‑off Test in Buenos Aires on August 8 and a four‑Test Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series starting August 22.
- The squad is split into two groups to manage workloads and give players returning from injury a staged return to play while coaches assess options for the All Blacks tour.
- Five players — Ntuthuko Mchunu, Embrose Papier, Evan Roos, Andre‑Hugo Venter and Jaco Williams — were released to their franchises so they can gain match minutes and may face New Zealand in midweek fixtures.
- Ten experienced Springboks recalled from injury include captain Siya Kolisi, flyhalf Sacha Feinberg‑Mngomezulu, Eben Etzebeth and Lood de Jager, with Ruben van Heerden placed on standby after his move to Montpellier.
- The move follows heavy rotation during the Nations Championship designed to build depth, and comes as World Rugby rankings tighten with New Zealand closing the gap, raising the importance of fitness and selection ahead of the series and the 2027 World Cup cycle.