VIDEO: Will this Lion become the newest Bok?

02/18/2025 12:27 PM

SPOTLIGHT: It's a new season and a new opportunity for a few South African rugby players to realize their dream of becoming a Springbok.

The back-to-back World Cup champs will get their 2025 season underway with their first alignment camp in Cape Town next month.

The alignment camp, which is set to conclude on Wednesday, March 12 will comprise two gymnasium sessions and a series of boardroom meetings to get the players up to speed on the requirements and expected standards for the season.

One man who hopes to make the most of the camp led by Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus is Lions prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye.

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"It is a privilege to be recognized. I've said it a number of times, if we as a team do well, individuals will get rewarded to go to [Springbok alignment] camps," Ntlabakanye told reporters on Tuesday.

"I'm looking forward to it. Having been there last year as well I've learned a few things and I'm hoping to learn more to grow my game."

The 25-year-old is one of eight Lions players invited to the first camp of the year.

Renzo du Plessis, Francke Horn, Ruan Venter, Quan Horn, Edwill van der Merwe, Morne van den Berg and Henco van Wyk are the other Lions players on the list.

"My goal is obviously to play for the Springboks.

"So, hopefully as a team, we can do well and make sure individual players get rewarded to fly the flag high."

He added: "Last year there were three or four players in the Springboks and it motivated a lot of us.

"So to have more guys in the camp is really nice for the team and hopefully we can have more in the future."

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Hero of Jozi

A product of St Stithians High School, the prop's name is accompanied by loud cheers, slowly becoming a cult hero at Ellis Park.

"My interaction with the fans means a lot to me," said the former Junior Bok, who made his professional debut in 2020 for the Lions.

"I have been with the Lions since high school, so you build that relationship with the fans and the people of Joburg.

"Knowing that the supporters are looking to me to deliver gives me that extra motivation to keep going when the game gets tough.

"It boosts me to hear people get excited when I tackle someone or take up the ball. I hear the fans and it drives me on."

Ntlabakanye hopes that this weekend he will put in another solid performance when the Lions travel to Pretoria to take on the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld.

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