Seven South African-born players have been named in other nations’ squads for November’s Nations Championship, including one who will face the Springboks this weekend.
It has become commonplace for European nations to recruit talent developed in the South African rugby system, especially in the last decade, with some players now leaving straight after school.
Johannesburg-born Ross Vintcent has been named among the replacements for Italy against South Africa in Turin on Saturday. He is a product of Bishops Diocesan College in Cape Town, where he was a teammate of mercurial Springbok flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
The 24-year-old qualified for Italy through his maternal grandfather and was recruited into the Italian rugby academy system straight out of school in 2020, in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic.
He might have dreamed of playing for the Springboks growing up, but shelved those ambitions early on, though he still feels the pull of South Africa, admitting he hummed along to the national anthem when the teams met last year.
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Missing out through injury this time around is Italy loose forward Sebastian Negri, who grew up in South Africa after his family fled Zimbabwe and whose rugby ethos was shaped by Springbok players.
“When I was at school at Hilton College in South Africa, I looked up to Gary Teichmann and Bob Skinstad because they had been through the same system as me,” Negri tells FORBES AFRICA. “They also played similar roles to me, so they were two players I really admired.
“Going further back, having been born in Zimbabwe, Beast Mtawarira was another big influence, as was David Pocock, who went on to play for Australia.”
Scotland, who face New Zealand this weekend, have four South African-born players in their wider squad: props Pierre Schoeman and Nathan McBeth, and wings Kyle Steyn and Duhan van der Merwe.
Steyn’s father, Rory, was the head of former South African president Nelson Mandela’s protection unit.
Center Dylan Riley and lock Ruan Botha are in the Japan squad that takes on Wales this weekend, although only Riley has been selected for Saturday’s match.
There could soon be another South African-born player representing a European nation.
Jeremy Ward has been included in France’s wider 42-man training group for the November internationals, although he will not become eligible to represent them until next year.
The Gqeberha-born center has played for Stade Français since 2022 and will qualify through residency after five years.
