Springboks Head Coach Rassie Erasmus has named South Africa’s roster for the 2025 Rugby Championship. The 37-man roster is specifically for the opening two rounds of the competition. South Africa will have home advantage against Australia to open this year’s Rugby Championship tournament.
The roster includes 24 players who have won the Rugby World Cup. It also includes five players who made their test debuts for South Africa in the July Internationals wherein the Springboks faced Italy and Georgia in home test matches. The five who did so are Ethan Hooker, Asenathi Ntlabakanye, Marnus van der Merwe, Boan Venter and Cobus Wiese.
The players selected play for professional clubs in South Africa and abroad. The United Rugby Championship (URC) teams, the Bulls, Lions, Sharks and Stormers are all contributing players. There are also URC players who play for teams in Ireland, Scotland and Wales as well as one French Top 14 player and eight who play in Japan.
| 2025 RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP – SOUTH AFRICA ROSTER |
Bathobele Hlekani, Cheswill Jooste, and Haashim Pead are inclusions straight from the Junior Springboks. The trio featured for the u20 World Champions at the recently completed World Rugby u20 Championship in Italy. South Africa defeated New Zealand in the Final while Argentina overcame France to claim Bronze.
Regulations see Thomas du Toit unavailable. The Bath prop has a mandatory two week rest due to an agreement with the English Premiership. He will subsequently join the roster. N8 Jasper Wiese is unavailable due to having been red carded while playing for South Africa in July. The enforcer is serving a four-week suspension.
Erasmus has also placed players on standby. They are Neethling Fouche (prop), , Salmaan Moerat (second-row), Vincent Tshituka (flanker), Evan Roos (No 8), Faf de Klerk (scrumhalf), Lukhanyo Am (centre), and Makazole Mapimpi (wing).
| 2025 RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP – SOUTH AFRICA ROSTER |
LOOSE HEAD + TIGHT HEAD PROP
Vincent Koch (Sharks)
Wilco Louw (Bulls)
Ox Nche (Sharks)
Asenathi Ntlabakanye (Lions)
Boan Venter (Edinburgh, GB-SCO)
Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Bulls)
HOOKER
Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears, JP)
Bongi Mbonambi (Sharks)
Marnus van der Merwe (Scarlets, GB-CYM)
SECOND-ROW
Lood de Jager (Wild Knights, JP)
Eben Etzebeth (Sharks)
Franco Mostert (Honda Heat, JP)
Ruan Nortje (Bulls)
RG Snyman (Leinster, IE),
FLANKER + N8
Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz, JP)
Jean-Luc du Preez (Bordeaux Begles, FR)
Siya Kolisi (Sharks)
Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs, JP)
Marco van Staden (Bulls)
Cobus Wiese (Bulls)
SCRUM-HALF
Cobus Reinach (Stormers)
Morne van den Berg (Lions)
Grant Williams (Sharks)
FLY HALF
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (Stormers)
Manie Libbok (Stormers)
Handre Pollard (Bulls)
INSIDE CENTER
Damian de Allende (Wild Knights, JP)
Andre Esterhuizen (Sharks)
OUTSIDE CENTER
Ethan Hooker (Sharks)
Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles, JP)
WING
Kurt-Lee Arendse (Bulls)
Cheslin Kolbe (Tokyo Sungoliath, JP)
Canan Moodie (Bulls)
Edwill van der Merwe (Sharks)
FULLBACK
Aphelele Fassi (Sharks)
Willie le Roux (Bulls)
Damian Willemse (Stormers)
