For only the second time a former South African Schools captain will captain the Springboks when they take on Portugal in Bloemfontein this Saturday.
Salmaan Moerat will become the 66th Springbok captain since South Africa played their first test in 1891. Interestingly the only other SA Schools’ captain to also lead the Springboks onto the rugby field, Corné Krige, is like Moerat also a former pupil from Paarl Boys’ High.
Krige captained the South African School’s side in 1993. He captained the national side in 18 tests during his career which spanned between 1999 and 2003.
Moerat captained the national schools’ side in 2016.
No less than another four Boishaaiers will also take the field on Saturday with Moerat on this special occasion. They are Evan Roos (2018), Thomas du Toit (2013), Ruan Venter (2021) and Quan Horn (2019).
Venter and Horn will make their Springbok debuts if they take the field against Portugal.
Bok coach, Rassie Erasmus, also named another five uncapped players in his team for Saturday. Johan Grobbelaar (Paarl Gimnasium), Phepsi Buthelezi (Durban High School), Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Grey College), André-Hugo Venter (Grey College) and Morné van den Berg (Linden) are all set to make their debut in the City of Roses.
Wessels will become South Africa’s rugby factory’s first Springbok since Francois Venter made his debut back in 2016. Venter matriculated in 2009 which made this dry spell an unusual one for Grey College.
The Springbok side to face Portugal in Bloemfontein and their schools:
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