Ruben van Heerden will earn his first Springbok cap against Wales at Kings Park on Saturday, a milestone the 28-year-old lock admits felt far from inevitable during the middle years of his career.
Van Heerden came through the Bulls system — out of Affies — before moving to the Sharks, where he made a promising start but struggled to distinguish himself in a deep pool of South African locks. A move to Exeter Chiefs in 2022 failed to reignite his trajectory, and after signalling his desire to return home, the Chiefs agreed to release him. The Bulls were among the clubs his agents approached, but it was the Stormers — dealing with a lock crisis at the time — who moved quickest. What began as a short-term arrangement evolved into a permanent deal after Van Heerden impressed John Dobson's coaching staff, contributing to the Stormers' third-place URC log finish and a run to a home final last season.
A key factor in his development was the transition into the No 5 jersey — lineout leader — a role he inhabited more fully after Marvin Orie's departure from the Stormers. That positional evolution is precisely what he carries into Saturday's Test, where he wears the No 5 shirt at the ground where he played his early Sharks rugby.
"The trust shown to me by the coaching staff there really helped me get to where I am today," Van Heerden said, speaking at the team hotel in Umhlanga while managing a mild stomach complaint.
His route to a first cap included an unusual detour: he played against the Springboks for Robbie Deans' Barbarians in Cape Town last June. When the Barbarians came calling again this year, Van Heerden turned them down, opting instead to represent South Africa A against the Barbarians in the Gqeberha curtain-raiser. Rassie Erasmus named him in his Nations Championship squad that same evening.
"I always felt I could get there and it has always been my goal," Van Heerden said. "I guess because I had to wait so long, it means so much to me and I appreciate it hugely. It all feels very surreal."
He will head to Montpellier after his Springbok commitments conclude.