Erasmus has publicly identified Paul de Villiers as a future Springbok captain, pointing to his tactical awareness, ability to communicate across the forward-back divide, and the leadership experience he's built captaining the Stormers and youth sides. Speaking from Turin, Erasmus was careful to frame it in context — the current leadership core of Du Toit, Etzebeth, De Allende, Kriel and Moerat isn't going anywhere yet — but the endorsement is deliberate. Erasmus's broader succession planning since the 2023 World Cup final has been visible in the volume of debutants he's blooded, and flagging De Villiers in this way fits that pattern. The piece is worth reading for Erasmus's specific framing of what he values in a Bok captain — less about rugby decision-making, more about managing team culture and climate.
Rassie flags De Villiers as a future Bok captain
Erasmus has publicly tipped Paul de Villiers as a future Springbok captain, citing his tactical fluency and cross-team communication — framed against a deliberate post-2023 succession strategy.
Lock depth crisis or overcrowding? The Bok second row picture before England arrives
Rich maps the Springbok lock depth picture — persistent injuries, the Barbarians squad call-ups of Van Heerden and Smith, and why this week's fixtures matter for World Cup preparation — while flagging Schickerling's continued absence as an overlooked gap.
Esterhuizen and Giliomee eager as Boks and SA 'A' prepare for Gqeberha double-header
The Springboks face the Barbarians and SA 'A' take on Zimbabwe in a double-header at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday, with Andre Esterhuizen backing Quan Horn's shift to flyhalf and teenager Luan Giliomee set for his third green-and-gold environment of the year.
So how deep is the Springbok squad?
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Van Heerden called up as Moerat injury forces Springbok change
Ruben van Heerden has been called into the Springbok squad to replace the injured Salmaan Moerat, joining camp in Johannesburg ahead of the season opener against the Barbarians on 20 June.
The Barbarians hit-out is a key cog in Rassie's World Cup machine
Nel makes the case that the Barbarians fixture is less about the result and more about Erasmus stress-testing depth, blooding uncapped talent, and keeping the World Cup-winning core fresh — all with 2027 firmly in mind.