Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus is in the starting blocks for the looming international season after a second alignment camp concluded in Cape Town on Friday afternoon.
The two-day camp featured a series of boardroom sessions and a gym session on Friday, while a bunch of overseas-based players joined the boardroom sessions virtually.
The players also participated in a series of Outfox virtual training sessions to familiarise themselves with the new structures.
Outfox is a video game devised by Erasmus.
The former loose forward shared the excitement among the players after he and the Bok assistant coaches made a series of presentations over the two days.
He said that with the season starting in little over a month against the Barbarians in Cape Town in the first match between the sides in South Africa, the vibe among the players and coaches was electric.
“We are fast approaching the international season, and although most of the players have big matches lined up in their respective competitions before we assemble at our training camp in June, we were pleased with what transpired at the first and second alignment camps,” said Erasmus.
“We believe we are on the right track in terms of our preparations and planning for the season.
“The coaches have been working tirelessly to improve our structures to ensure that we can improve on our performances last season.
“It was great to see how the players responded to the adaptations and changes we have made to our structures.
“We have said time and time again that we have to continue to evolve to remain a force at the top level of the game.
“We are under no illusions about the challenging season ahead.
“But we are pleased with the progress we have been making off the field, and we are really looking forward to the season.”
Erasmus was also pleased to see the enthusiasm among the new players in the group – Vincent Tshituka, Ntokozo Makhaza and Juarno Augustus, who tuned in virtually from England – and he believed that this experience would benefit them immensely to grow even further in their careers.
Star wing Kurt-Lee Arendse has already completed his Japanese club season, and was spotted in attendance at the camp too.
“They are all very talented players, and it was evident how proud they were to have this opportunity to rub shoulders with this group of players, some of whom have been with us since 2018, and to learn from them and the coaches,” said the Bok coach.
“It was also fantastic to see how they interacted with the more experienced players and tried to learn from them, and the coaches in their respective departments.”
Erasmus will name his squad for the June training camp in the next few weeks, where they will begin their preparations for the Barbarians match on June 28 at the Cape Town Stadium.
That will be followed by the Incoming Series against Italy in July, and then the Rugby Championship and the traditional end-of-the-year tour.
