The Springboks have officially named their 37-player squad for the upcoming Rugby Championship Tests against Australia, set to take place in Johannesburg on August 16 and in Cape Town a week later. Notably, the squad does not include double World Cup winners Lukhanyo Am, Faf de Klerk, and Makazola Mapimpi, who are on a stand-by list in case of injuries.

New Faces in the Squad

Coach Rassie Erasmus has included several new caps in the squad, such as utility back Ethan Hooker, props Asenathi Ntlabakanye and Boan Venter, hooker Marnus van der Merwe, and utility forward Cobus Wiese. These selections reflect Erasmus's strategy to build depth within the squad, especially with the 2027 Rugby World Cup in mind.

Player Rest and Suspensions

Bath prop Thomas du Toit has been granted a compulsory two-week rest as agreed with the English Premiership, while number eight Jasper Wiese, Cobus's brother, is serving a four-week suspension.

Erasmus's Strategy

Erasmus emphasized the importance of squad depth, stating, "We probably have three players who can cover each position. One of our key pillars as a team is to build squad depth, and there is no better way to see what some of the younger players are capable of than to expose them to some of the top teams in the world."

U-20 World Cup Standouts

The Springboks have also invited three players from South Africa's victorious side at the recent Under-20 World Cup to train with the team. These include loose-forward Bathobele Hlekani, wing Cheswill Jooste, and scrumhalf Haashim Pead, who was the standout performer in the tournament.

Full Squad List

Forwards: Lood de Jager, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Jean-Luc du Preez, Eben Etzebeth, Vincent Koch, Siya Kolisi, Wilco Louw, Malcolm Marx, Bongi Mbonambi, Franco Mostert, Ox Nche, Ruan Nortje, Asenathi Ntlabakanye, Kwagga Smith, RG Snyman, Marnus van der Merwe, Marco van Staden, Boan Venter, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Cobus Wiese.

Backs: Kurt-Lee Arendse, Damian de Allende, Andre Esterhuizen, Aphelele Fassi, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Ethan Hooker, Jesse Kriel, Cheslin Kolbe, Willie le Roux, Manie Libbok, Canan Moodie, Handre Pollard, Cobus Reinach, Edwill van der Merwe, Morne van den Berg, Grant Williams, Damian Willemse.