Preliminary Springbok Rugby World Cup squad named
Twenty-one Rugby World Cup winners were among a preliminary Springbok squad of 49 players named for the 2011 tournament by the South African Rugby Union (SARU) on Monday. The final Rugby World Cup squad of 30 will be named on August 23.
The names were submitted to the International Rugby Board as part of a requirement of Rugby World Cup planning. However, the list is not definitive and the final squad can include players from outside the initial group.
Rugby World Cup-winning 2007 captain John Smit and vice-captain Victor Matfield were joined by 19 other members of the World Cup winners of four years ago in coach Peter de Villiers’ preliminary squad or 49.
“I’m very happy with the squad,” said De Villiers. “We have got a good blend of youth and experience as well as including some uncapped players who have forced their way into contention for selection with their performances in Super Rugby.
“Our planning is at an advanced stage for the international season and the vast majority of these players have attended one or both of our planning camps.
“Our Castle Tri-Nations squad will be drawn from this group once we have been able to sort out those players who are carrying injuries at the end of the Vodacom Super Rugby competition.”
Newcomers to a Springbok squad naming in 2011 are Vodacom Bulls loosehead prop Dean Greyling and the Ulster duo of Johann Muller (lock) and BJ Botha (tighthead prop).
As well as 21 World Cup winners, the squad includes six uncapped players and four whom are based with European clubs.
The Springbok squad for the Castle Tri-Nations will be named on July 2 or 9 (depending on South African involvement in the Vodacom Super Rugby final).
Preliminary Rugby World Squad (in alphabetical order)
| Player | Province | Caps | Test points | Previous RWCs |
| Willem Alberts | The Sharks | 3 | 15 (3 tries) | – |
| Gio Aplon | DHL Western Province | 13 | 15 (3 tries) | – |
| Bjorn Basson | Vodacom Blue Bulls | 4 | 0 | – |
| Andries Bekker | DHL Western Province | 24 | 5 (1 try) | – |
| Bakkies Botha | Vodacom Blue Bulls | 72 | 35 (7 tries) | 2 |
| BJ Botha | Ulster | 25 | 5 (1 try) | 1 |
| Heinrich Brüssow | Toyota Free State Cheetahs | 13 | 5 (1 try) | – |
| Schalk Burger | DHL Western Province | 63 | 65 (13 tries) | 2 |
| Juan de Jongh | DHL Western Province | 6 | 5 (1 try) | – |
| Jean de Villiers | DHL Western Province | 67 | 95 (19 tries) | 1 |
| Bismarck du Plessis | The Sharks | 36 | 25 (5 tries) | 1 |
| Jannie du Plessis | The Sharks | 24 | 5 (1 try) | 1 |
| Fourie du Preez | Vodacom Blue Bulls | 55 | 65 (13 tries) | 1 |
| Jaque Fourie | DHL Western Province | 62 | 150 (30 tries) | 2 |
| Dean Greyling | Vodacom Blue Bulls | – | – | – |
| Bryan Habana | DHL Western Province | 68 | 190 (38 tries) | 1 |
| Alistair Hargreaves | The Sharks | 2 | 0 | – |
| Francois Hougaard | Vodacom Blue Bulls | 8 | 0 | – |
| Adrian Jacobs | The Sharks | 32 | 35 (7 tries) | |
| Butch James | MTN Golden Lions | 40 | 148 (3t, 26c, 26p, 1dg) | 1 |
| Elton Jantjies | MTN Golden Lions | – | – | – |
| Enrico Januarie | DHL Western Province | 47 | 25 (5 tries) | 1 |
| Ashley Johnson | Toyota Free State Cheetahs | – | – | – |
| Ryan Kankowski | The Sharks | 17 | 5 (1 try) | – |
| Zane Kirchner | Vodacom Blue Bulls | 14 | 5 (1 try) | – |
| Werner Kruger | Vodacom Blue Bulls | – | – | – |
| Patrick Lambie | The Sharks | 4 | 2 (1 c) | – |
| Francois Louw | DHL Western Province | 7 | 10 (2 tries) | – |
| Victor Matfield | Vodacom Blue Bulls | 105 | 35 (7 tries) | 2 |
| Tendai Mtawarira | The Sharks | 26 | 5 (1 try) | – |
| Johann Muller | Ulster | 23 | 0 | 1 |
| Lwazi Mvovo | The Sharks | 2 | 5 (1 try) | – |
| Odwa Ndungane | The Sharks | 7 | 10 (2 tries) | |
| Wynand Olivier | Vodacom Blue Bulls | 32 | 5 (1 try) | 1 |
| Coenie Oosthuizen | Toyota Free State Cheetahs | – | – | – |
| Ruan Pienaar | Ulster | 47 | 107 (6t, 13c, 17p) | 1 |
| JP Pietersen | The Sharks | 36 | 60 (12 tries) | 1 |
| Chiliboy Ralepelle | Vodacom Blue Bulls | 18 | 0 | – |
| Danie Rossouw | Vodacom Blue Bulls | 54 | 40 (8 tries) | 2 |
| John Smit | The Sharks | 102 | 30 (6 tries) | 2 |
| Juan Smith | Toyota Free State Cheetahs | 69 | 60 (12 tries) | 2 |
| Pierre Spies | Vodacom Blue Bulls | 40 | 35 (7 tries) | – |
| Gurthrö Steenkamp | Vodacom Blue Bulls | 31 | 25 (5 tries) | 1 |
| Deon Stegmann | Vodacom Blue Bulls | 4 | 0 | – |
| Frans Steyn | Racing Metro | 42 | 97 (6t, 5c, 16p, 3dg) | 1 |
| Morné Steyn | Vodacom Blue Bulls | 25 | 322 (4t, 37c, 71p, 5dg) | – |
| Adriaan Strauss | Toyota Free State Cheetahs | 9 | 0 | – |
| Flip van der Merwe | Vodacom Blue Bulls | 10 | 5 (1 try) | – |
| Duane Vermeulen | DHL Western Province | – | – | – |
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