SARU name four new players to their second National Planning Camp – Rugby news
South African Rugby Union (SARU) has announced the list of the 37-man called to attend the National Planning Camp to be held on 12 and 13 June at Durban. The squad was announced in a statement released on SARU’s official website on Wednesday, June 8.
This is the second of the initially announced three National Planning Camps to discuss and chart out the strategy regarding the “logistical arrangements” for the SARU national rugby union team and management for next season.
Springboks will be playing the Tri Nations starting in July this year followed by their campaign to defend the World Rugby Cup title during the 2011 Rugby World Cup tournament starting in September 2011.
On April 20, 2011, Springboks coach Peter de Villiers announced the 51-man provisional 2011 Rugby World Cup squad and the route for the team’s preparations for the coming season. At the end of the first National Planning Camp on May 2, de Villiers named
John Smit as the captain of the Springboks team for the coming season.
The 37-man squad includes four players who did not participated in the first planning camp. This includes Ashley Johnson, Ruan Pienaar, Frans Steyn, and Butch James. The surprise return for the Ruan Pienaar from the Northern Hemisphere was believed to be
the result of the signal provided by the SARU about his inclusion in the World Cup squad.
Pienaar played last week for the Barbarians in their clash against England at Twickenham. Following his performance, he flew to Durban and was seen practicing with the Super Rugby franchise Sharks.
Springboks head coach, Peter de Villiers, has confirmed that the players not named in the second camp are still in contention for a place in the national side. He further added that, “The first session was designed to get an expanded group onto the same
page and this reduced group with senior players, and one or two newcomers, is designed to go into more detail.”
The 37-man squad directed to report to Durban on Sunday, June 12 includes:
John Smit (Sharks, captain), Victor Matfield (Bulls, vice-captain), Willem Alberts (Sharks), Gio Aplon (Western Province), Andries Bekker (Western Province), Bakkies Botha (Blue Bulls), Heinrich Brüssow (Free State Cheetahs), Schalk Burger (Western Province),
Juan de Jongh (Western Province), Jean de Villiers (Western Province), Bismarck du Plessis (Sharks), Jannie du Plessis (Sharks), Fourie du Preez (Blue Bulls), Jaque Fourie (Western Province), Bryan Habana (Western Province), Francois Hougaard (Blue Bulls),
Butch James (Lions), Ashley Johnson (Free State Cheetahs), Werner Kruger (Blue Bulls), Pat Lambie (Sharks), Tendai Mtawarira (Sharks), Lwazi Mvovo (Sharks), Odwa Ndungane (Sharks), Wynand Olivier (Blue Bulls),Coenie Oosthuizen (Free State Cheetahs), Ruan Pienaar
(Ulster), JP Pietersen (Sharks), Chiliboy Ralepelle (Blue Bulls), Danie Rossouw (Blue Bulls), Juan Smith (Free State Cheetahs), Pierre Spies (Blue Bulls), Gurthrö Steenkamp (Blue Bulls),Francois Steyn (Racing Metro), Morné Steyn (Blue Bulls), Adriaan Strauss
(Free State Cheetahs), Flip van der Merwe (Blue Bulls), Duane Vermeulen (Western Province).
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