Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus expressed his delight with the Boks’ opening alignment camp of the year, which concluded on Thursday evening with the prestigious SA Rugby Awards in Cape Town.
The three-day camp, which included a series of detailed boardroom sessions about the key areas of the game and the coaches’ expectations, as well as the macroplan for the 2026 season, kicked off on Tuesday. The players will return to their provincial unions on Friday.
“It’s the first time we’ve been in person together, and as coaches and management, we’ve been doing a lot of work behind the scenes, so it was nice to see everyone face-to-face and explain the operational aspects for the year, as well as the coaching areas, which is probably the most important,” said Erasmus, who was named Coach of the Year on Thursday evening and honoured for reaching 50 Test caps as Bok head coach.
“Most of the coaches and management are feeling comfortable that we got across what we think the players should know at this stage, and that means they can start working on some of the things that we’re expecting from them when they get to the next alignment camp.”
The Bok coach was also pleased with the energy and enthusiasm displayed by the uncapped players who were invited to their first Bok alignment camp and said it would set them in good standing as they harbour hopes of playing their way into the national team.
“There were eleven uncapped players, and not all of them will get a chance to play this year, but that’s beside the point,” said Erasmus.
“The key was to get to know their personalities and for them to start feeling comfortable in the environment, and we are very excited about what they can deliver.
“We all think they have the potential to play for the Springboks one day, and this is only the first step for them to start understanding our systems, and obviously for the older players to see the young guys coming through to keep everybody at peak performance, so nothing can be taken for granted.”
The Bok coaches will also hold a virtual alignment camp with 21 overseas-based players. The second alignment camp will be hosted in Cape Town in May and will be followed by the first official training camp of the year in Johannesburg in June.
The Springboks have a bumper 2026 season lined up, which includes 13 Test matches, and an international against the Barbarians in Gqeberha on Saturday, 20 June at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
Erasmus said the camp sparked excitement among the players and management about the season ahead, as they build toward the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia and beyond.
“There's still a lot of important Vodacom United Rugby Championship games to play, but after sitting in the room together, we can’t wait for the season to start,” said the double Rugby World Cup-winning coach.
“It was fantastic to see the excitement in general, and players like Frans (Malherbe), who we spoke to for the first time in a while, and guys like Kai Pratt, Markus Muller, and the other young guys, and to witness their excitement levels first-hand. I think some of them are very nervous, but overall, the excitement is great, and we can't wait for the season to start.”
Springbok fixtures 2026:
International:
Saturday 20 June: Springboks v Barbarians (Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Gqeberha)
Nations Championship:
Saturday 4 July: Springboks v England (Ellis Park, Johannesburg)
Saturday 11 July: Springboks v Scotland (Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria)
Saturday 18 July: Springboks v Wales (Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban)
Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry:
Saturday 22 August: Springboks v All Blacks (Ellis Park, Johannesburg)
Saturday 29 August: Springboks v All Blacks (DHL Stadium, Cape Town)
Saturday 5 September: Springboks v All Blacks (FNB Stadium, Johannesburg)
Saturday 12 September: Springboks v All Blacks (M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, USA)
Once-off Tests:
Saturday, 8 August: Argentina v Springboks (venue TBC)
Sunday 27 September: Wallabies v Springboks (Optus Stadium, Perth)
Nations Championship:
Saturday 7 November: Italy v Springboks (venue TBC)
Friday 13 November: France v Springboks (Stade de France, Paris)
Saturday 21 November: Ireland v Springboks (Aviva Stadium, Dublin)
Friday 27 to Sunday 29 November: Finals Weekend (Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, London)