Ruben van Heerden will earn his first Springbok cap against Wales at Kings Park on Saturday, a milestone that looked far from certain when the 28-year-old lock was struggling to make his mark in an exceptionally competitive South African second-row pool.
The Affies product came through the Bulls system before moving to the Sharks, then departed for Exeter Chiefs in 2022 after failing to force his way into Bok contention. His stint in England never gained momentum, and when he indicated he wanted to return home, Exeter agreed to release him. The Bulls were among the franchises sounded out by his agents, but it was the Stormers — in the grip of a lock crisis at the time — who moved decisively. What began as a short-term arrangement became a permanent deal after Van Heerden contributed to the Stormers' third-place URC finish and their run to a home final, which they lost to Munster, with John Dobson moving quickly to secure him long-term.
Critically, the departure of Marvin Orie opened the door for Van Heerden to develop as a No 5, taking on the lineout leadership role he will carry into his debut on Saturday. Speaking at the team hotel in Umhlanga, Van Heerden credited the environment in Cape Town as the turning point.
"The change of scenery going to Cape Town definitely helped me. The trust shown to me by the coaching staff there really helped me get to where I am today," he said.
He has the rare distinction among South Africa-based players of having faced the Boks, featuring in Robbie Deans' Barbarians side in Cape Town last June. Invited back for this year's Barbarians fixture, he instead chose to play for South Africa A against the Barbarians in the Gqeberha curtain-raiser — a decision that paid off when Erasmus named him in the Nations Championship squad that same evening.
Saturday's test at his former home ground will be his last in South Africa before he departs for Montpellier after his Springbok commitments conclude.
"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."