The Springboks are set to embark on their highly anticipated end-of-year tour, with the squad departing this weekend. Players will travel to London in groups from their respective clubs and franchises on Saturday and Sunday....Click to Read More >>➤
This extensive tour presents a significant challenge for the reigning world champions. The team faces a demanding five-Test schedule across Europe, starting with a historic fixture.
Springboks’ 2025 End-of-Year Tour Fixtures
The itinerary for the Springboks’ end-of-year tour is packed with high-stakes matches. The campaign kicks off against Japan at London’s iconic Wembley Stadium on Saturday, 1 November.
The team then heads to Paris to face France at the Stade de France on 8 November. A week later, the Boks take on Italy at Turin’s Allianz Stadium.
The final two Tests are against top-tier northern hemisphere rivals. The squad meets Ireland at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium on 22 November. The tour concludes against Wales at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on 29 November.
Erasmus Braces for Demanding European Campaign
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus acknowledged the difficulty of the upcoming schedule. He stated the squad is eager to regroup after a demanding season and face this tough but exciting challenge.
“It’s a longer tour than usual, and we are facing top-class opposition, but we are looking forward to it,” Erasmus said. He specifically highlighted the threat posed by Ireland and France, who are ranked third and fourth globally.
Erasmus also warned against underestimating the other opponents on this challenging end-of-year tour. He noted that Japan has beaten the Boks before, Italy pushed them hard in Pretoria, and Wales are showing clear signs of improvement.
This end-of-year tour is a critical building block for the 2027 Rugby World Cup. It offers the coaching staff a prime opportunity to evaluate squad depth and test player combinations against elite international teams.
Squad Adjustments Following URC Bans
The original selection included 36 players for the touring squad and 10 on standby. However, the team has been forced to make late changes due to disciplinary suspensions from last weekend’s URC matches.
Front-rower Jan-Hendrik Wessels, initially named in the main squad, received a five-week ban. Veteran wing Makazole Mapimpi, on the standby list, was handed a nine-week suspension. These bans rule both players out of the entire Springboks’ end-of-year tour, a development that reportedly angered Coach Erasmus. Official replacements had not been announced at the time of publication.
Springbok Touring Squad
Forwards: Lood de Jager, Ben-Jason Dixon, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Thomas du Toit, Eben Etzebeth, Johan Grobbelaar, Jean Kleyn, Siya Kolisi, Wilco Louw, Malcolm Marx, Franco Mostert, Ox Nche, Ruan Nortje, Zachary Porthen, Kwagga Smith, RG Snyman, Gerhard Steenekamp, Marco van Staden, Boan Venter, Jan-Hendrik Wessels *, Jasper Wiese
Backs: Kurt-Lee Arendse, Damian de Allende, Andre Esterhuizen, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Ethan Hooker, Cheslin Kolbe, Jesse Kriel, Manie Libbok, Canan Moodie, Handré Pollard, Cobus Reinach, Morne van den Berg, Edwill van der Merwe, Damian Willemse, Grant Williams
Standby Players
Forwards: Juarno Augustus, Neethling Fouché, Bongi Mbonambi, Salmaan Moerat, Asenathi Ntlabakanye, Evan Roos, Vincent Tshituka
Backs: Lukhanyo Am, Sebastian de Klerk, Makazole Mapimpi *
*denotes player suspended and ...Click to Read More >>➤
