/ 20 April 2011

De Villiers names provisional Rugby World Cup squad

South Africa named seven uncapped players on Wednesday in a 51-man squad for three pre-World Cup planning sessions next month.

“By the end of this series of camps I hope any of the players we call on will be familiar with our systems,” coach Peter de Villiers told a news conference at the offices of the Boland Rugby Union.

“These sessions are not about selection now. They’re about being ready when we make the final selections.”

The seven uncapped players are Cheetahs trio Sarel Pretorius, Lionel Mapoe and Coenie Oosthuizen, Stormers forward Duane Vermeulen, Lions flyhalf Elton Jantjies, Bulls prop Werner Kruger and Sharks scrumhalf Charl McLeod.

The provisional squad was announced in Wellington outside Cape Town on Wednesday.

The squad will attend a two-day national planning session in Cape Town which starts on May 1.

A second planning session will be held in Durban on June 11 and 12 with a third taking place in Johannesburg on June 19 and 20.

Springbok coach Peter de Villiers will announce South Africa’s World Cup captain on May 2 and his final squad of 30 will be finalised by August 23.

The Rugby World Cup starts on September 9 in New Zealand and the Springboks face Wales in their first match on September 11 in Wellington.

Meanwhile, Sport 24 is reporting that Western Province senior professional coach, Rassie Erasmus, will be part of the Bok management team at the global showpiece.

Springbok squad: Willem Alberts, Gio Aplon, Bjorn Basson, Andries Bekker, Bakkies Botha, Heinrich Brüssow, Schalk Burger, Keegan Daniel, Juan de Jongh, Jean de Villiers, Bismarck du Plessis, Jannie du Plessis, Fourie du Preez, Jaque Fourie, Peter Grant, Bryan Habana, Alistair Hargreaves, Francois Hougaard, Adi Jacobs, Elton Jantjies, Ricky Januarie, Ryan Kankowski, Zane Kirchner, Werner Kruger, Pat Lambie, Francois Louw, Bandise Maku, Lionel Mapoe, Victor Matfield, Charl McLeod, Tendai Mtawarira, Waylon Murray, Lwazi Mvovo, Odwa Ndungane, Wynand Olivier, Coenie Oosthuizen, JP Pietersen, Dewaldt Potgieter, Sarel Pretorius, Chiliboy Ralepelle, Danie Rossouw, John Smit, Juan Smith, Pierre Spies, Gurthrö Steenkamp, Deon Stegmann, Morné Steyn, Adriaan Strauss, CJ van der Linde, Flip van der Merwe, Duane Vermeulen. — Sapa, Reuters