The Springboks year will constitute 137 days in total, and the end result will be to achieve as good a ranking as possible ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup draw at the end of the year.

The Springbok coaching staff have a mountain of work to get through this year.

They have already touched base with some 84 players ahead of the 2025 season, and with 15 matches on the horizon it is all about building strength and depth for the World Cup in 2027.

“Having 15 matches, I would think it is only the second time in history that we have played fifteen. In 2007, there were 17 matches. So, it will be the first time in a long time and I think we need that because we still want to filter and sift some players and give a lot of players an opportunity,” says Springboks Coach Rassie Erasmus.

Erasmus has a dedicated team putting together the Springboks schedule.

Boks General Manager, Charles Wessels, was able to confirm 12 tests, two more in the works, and another exciting match that has always represented the heart and soul of world rugby.

“The Springboks will be together for 137 days in person for this year. That 137 days includes the three alignment camp, about three weeks of conditioning camps. During that campaign, we will play 12 confirmed tests. We are working on two additional tests and then we will play the Barbarians prior to the opening of the July window on Saturday the 28th of June,” says Wessels.

Planning

The process of outlining the year ahead further serves to highlight the meticulous planning and highly specialised environment the Boks operate in.

SA Rugby Chief Executive Officer, Rian Oberholzer, says the progress of the Boks is being closely monitored by all in World Rugby and means the Green and Gold are the envy of their peers.

“We went through a challenging time as an organisation. But coming back from world rugby meetings I must say what Rassie and the team has achieved for South African rugby, and the image of South African rugby on the world stage is amazing. They really look up to us. They are in awe of what we have, they are in awe of our player base, our school systems and those are all things that work,” says Oberholzer.

Erasmus baulked at the idea of 2025 being a transition year, rather the Boks coach says they have an important World Cup objective ahead of them to keep them on the front foot.

“We really are looking for all options and all positions to make sure that hopefully when the World Cup draw is at the end of this year, which is pretty important, that we are ranked well because the World Cup pools are a little bit different and then obviously, if you put players through the pressure cooker situations this year, two years out from a World Cup, you will learn a lot from that,” says Erasmus.

On the subject of the Springbok captaincy, Erasmus added that the armband remains Siya Kolisi’s as long as he is fit and healthy.

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