Springboks start preparations for the upcoming international season

With the upcoming international rugby season looming large, Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber and his management team will host the first alignment camp in Durban this weekend.

The Durban camp will take place between April 10 and 12 and will be followed by another session in Cape Town scheduled to take place between May 1 and 5.

 During the two camps, Nienaber and his team will work with a selected group of players who will be invited from around the country as the Boks gear up for their exciting season.

Springbok team management explained that the purpose for the camps will be to expose players to the plans for the season and Springbok culture as they look forward to the three back-to-back Castle Lager Series Tests against Wales in July.

The Boks also have two home Tests against the All Blacks and one against Argentina and three away Tests — two against Australia and one against Argentina — during the upcoming season.

Alignment camps will also be hosted with the overseas-based players in England and France, as well as virtual meetings, all of which will take place between Saturday April 16 and Monday April 25.

With the Springboks' first Test against Wales less than three months away, Nienaber said the alignment camps were vital to get the players into the right frame of mind as they look ahead to an important season ahead with an eye on next year’s Rugby World Cup in France.

“We are excited to get our season under way and these alignment camps are vital as we have not played for several months,” said Nienaber.

“These sessions will ensure that we are all on the same page on and off the field when we begin our official training sessions. Most of these activities will involve boardroom sessions where we set objectives and align in terms of our planning.

“We will host similar camps with our overseas-based players in the next few weeks, but the door is not shut for other players to be invited to the remaining camps.

“It is also important to emphasise that being invited to these camps by no means is a guarantee of selection for the Castle Lager Incoming Tour squad, but rather an opportunity for the players to start switching into the mindset required for the international season.”