Lukhanyo Am has spoken candidly about his hunger to force his way back into Springbok contention ahead of the 2027 World Cup, pushing back against the narrative that he's a fading force. Playing for Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars in Japan League One, Am acknowledges the challenge — he's 32, there's a generation of younger centres pushing hard, and he's been out of the picture long enough for people to forget him — but he's clear-eyed about what it takes: fitness, form, and ticking the coaching staff's boxes. Crucially, he was included in last month's overseas alignment camp, confirmation that Rassie and Co. haven't written him off.
The piece doubles as a broader endorsement of South Africa's inclusive overseas selection policy, which Am credits as a genuine competitive edge — pointing to Du Toit, Marx, and Julian Savea winning World Rugby Player of the Year while based in Japan as evidence that the league sharpens rather than blunts top-end players. With Kurt-Lee Arendse joining him at the Dynaboars next season, and Am framing Japan as particularly beneficial for backs, there's a real argument here that his current stint could be career-extending rather than career-closing. Whether he can recapture that ruthless, high-water-mark Am form is the question the piece leaves open — but it makes the case that dismissing him entirely would be premature.