The president of the South African Rugby Union, Oregan Hoskins, and Springbok coach, Peter de Villiers, on Saturday named a squad of 27 for the away leg of the Vodacom Tri-Nations.

Four players were added to the squad of 23 that did duty during the three home Tests, in which the Springboks were unbeaten. The four new players in the squad are Vodacom Western Province flanker Schalk Burger, Sharks loose forward Ryan Kankowski, Vodacom Blue Bulls prop Gurthrö Steenkamp and Sharks winger Odwa Ndungane. All of them were in action earlier in the year against the British & Irish Lions.

The squad departs South Africa on Monday, August 24, 2009. Their first game is on Saturday, August 29 against the Wallabies in Perth. A week later, on Saturday, September 5, they meet Australia again, this time in Brisbane, before concluding the tour in Hamilton against the All Blacks on Saturday, September 12.

The Springbok tour squad is:

Forwards:

John Smit –The Sharks, Captain

Victor Matfield – Vodacom Blue Bulls, Vice-Captain

Andries Bekker – Vodacom Western Province

Bakkies Botha – Vodacom Blue Bulls

Heinrich Brüssow – Vodacom Free State Cheetahs

Schalk Burger – Vodacom Western Province

Bismarck du Plessis – The Sharks

Jannie du Plessis – The Sharks

Ryan Kankowski – The Sharks

Tendai Mtawarira – The Sharks

Chiliboy Ralepelle – Vodacom Blue Bulls

Danie Rossouw – Vodacom Blue Bulls

Juan Smith – Vodacom Free State Cheetahs

Pierre Spies – Vodacom Blue Bulls

Gurthrö Steenkamp – Vodacom Blue Bulls

Backs:

Jean de Villiers – Vodacom Western Province

Fourie du Preez – Vodacom Blue Bulls

Jaque Fourie – Xerox Lions

Bryan Habana – Vodacom Blue Bulls

Adi Jacobs – The Sharks

Ricky Januarie – Vodacom Western Province

Odwa Ndungane – The Sharks

Wynand Olivier – Vodacom Blue Bulls

Ruan Pienaar – The Sharks

JP Pietersen – The Sharks

Frans Steyn – The Sharks

Morné Steyn – Vodacom Blue Bulls



Issued by SA Rugby