The Springboks have named their Springbok team to face England, and the world champions are starting the 2026 season with a heavyweight one. Rassie Erasmus has reached for experience and proven combinations to open the inaugural Nations Championship against England at Ellis Park this Saturday, with Siya Kolisi leading the side for the 72nd time.
This is the first Springbok team of the year, and it carries serious firepower from one to 23. Here’s who Erasmus is sending out.
At the back, number 15 Damian Willemse starts at fullback and does so on a milestone — this is his 50th Test cap. Outside him on the right wing, number 14 Cheslin Kolbe reaches the exact same mark, the two of them hitting half a century in the same match. Completing the back three on the left is number 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, whose strike rate is frightening: 23 tries in just 30 Tests.
The midfield pairs two of the most experienced centres in world rugby. Number 13 Jesse Kriel brings 87 caps of know-how on the outside, while number 12 Damian de Allende sits just two Tests away from becoming a Springbok centurion once this weekend is done.
At halfback, Erasmus has gone for tempo and control. Number 10 Manie Libbok takes the reins at flyhalf, with number 9 Grant Williams — sharp, quick and a constant threat around the fringes — alongside him at scrumhalf.
The loose trio is built on graft and leadership. Number 8 Jasper Wiese provides the ballast, number 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit covers every blade of grass and now sits four Tests shy of his own century, and number 6 Siya Kolisi captains the side once more on the very ground where his Test leadership story began against England in 2018.
In the engine room, the rising star packs down with the record-holder. Number 5 Ruan Nortje continues his climb in the second row, partnering number 4 Eben Etzebeth — the most-capped Springbok in history, who stretches his own record to 142 appearances on Saturday.
The front row mixes power with pedigree. Number 3 Thomas du Toit anchors the tighthead side, number 2 Malcolm Marx — the reigning World Rugby and SA Rugby Men’s Player of the Year — wears the two jersey, and number 1 Ox Nche completes the starters. Nche is himself now just two Tests from joining Kolbe and Willemse in the 50 club.
✍️ JAY | JPS SAYS: “This is a statement team. Rassie could have rotated for a brand-new competition, but he’s picked his most trusted men to lay down a marker. When you see this 23 run out at Ellis Park, you’re looking at world champions who mean business.”
The bench is where Erasmus has loaded his forward muscle, opting for a five-three split. Number 16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels and number 17 Gerhard Steenekamp provide front-row cover, with number 18 Zachary Porthen — the former Junior Springbok captain, three caps to his name — completing the reserve tight five.
Two welcome returns follow. Number 19 Marco van Staden and number 20 Cameron Hanekom are both back in a Springbok matchday squad for the first time since November 2024, bringing breakdown bite and fresh legs for the final quarter.
The backline finishers are all utility men. Number 21 Cobus Reinach, on 50 caps, needs just five more Test points to reach a century in the green and gold. Number 22 Andre Esterhuizen offers physicality across the midfield, and number 23 Canan Moodie can cover almost anywhere behind the scrum.
Erasmus was without two senior options this week, with Franco Mostert managing a niggle and Lood de Jager ruled out through illness. Even so, the strength on display says everything about where this squad sits heading into a World Cup year.
There’s a bigger stage behind it all. The Nations Championship is rugby‘s first true global league, building toward a Finals Weekend in London at the end of November. But Erasmus has been clear the Boks are taking it one Test at a time — and England, a settled outfit off the back of a Six Nations campaign, come first.
There’s a full afternoon of green and gold on the card too. The Springbok Women open the double-header, hosting the United States on home soil for the first time, before the men take over. Kickoff at Ellis Park is 17:40, live on SuperSport.
This is the team. These are the players carrying South Africa’s hopes into a brand-new era. Don’t miss them when they run out at Ellis Park on Saturday.
📸 Imahes via Gallo Images / SA Rugby
