With the International Rugby season finally returning to our television screens, Springbok coach, Rassie Erasmus has made his intention clear when it comes to giving new faces a chance at captaincy. This comes after he hinted that current captain, Siya Kolisi, might not feature in every game this year.
Since the start of the 2025 campaign, the outside centre Jesse Kriel has been afforded the opportunity to lead the team on two consecutive occasions. The first was a friendly match against the Babarians and later the team’s first official test match against Italy, in Pretoria.
While Jesse does possess excellent leadership abilities and continues to be praised for being among the hardest workers in the team and leading by example, the reality is, at 33-years of age come the 2027 World Cup, it remains uncertain how long he might be able to play at the highest level post the World Cup.
Furthermore, other potential candidates like Bongi Mbonambi, Pieter-Steph du Toit, and Eben Etzebeth, as powerful as they may be, are unfortunately in a similar category when it comes to their age and therefore might not be long term solutions.
In this article, we will therefore explore some other potential candidates that could lead beyond 2027.
Salmaan Moerat
The 2-meter tall Stormers lock is perhaps the number one contender to receive future Bok captaincy. He has occupied a leadership role since the days of his youth while attending the prestigious Western Cape based rugby school Paarl Boys High. Since then, he went on to captain the U20 Springbok team, Western Province as well as the Stormers before being afforded the opportunity lead the Springboks against Portugal and Australia in 2024. Come the 2027 World Cup, Salmaan will be 29-year-old.
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu
Often praised for his natural skill and flair, Sacha, the 23-year-old utility back, is a name that has been praised across the rugby community. Not only does he play with much maturity and self-belief, but he is also a leader in his own right. In 2022, he captained the Junior Springboks and in 2023 led the Western Province side to victory in the SA Rugby U21 Cup. Following a debut last year, Bok coach Rassie Erasmus praised the youngster noting that he was, “captaincy material.”
Ruan Nortjie
Equally impressive as the above-mentioned candidates is the Blue Bulls lock Ruan Nortjie. The 26-year-old has been an integral part of the Pretoria side’s core and has led them to great heights. Ruan made his test debut in 2022 and has had to wait 2 more years before receiving more game time in a team stacked with locks like Eben Etzebeth, RG Snyman, Franco Mostert, Salmaan Moerat and Jean Kleyn. Despite this, his experience playing at the highest level could be useful for leading the national team.
Also see:Execution mattered: Springboks and Bok U20 establish dominance on the weekend
