World Cup-Winning Springbok Returns from Injury Just in Time for Rugby Championship
The Springboks have received a significant boost with the timely return from injury of a World Cup-winning star on the eve of the Rugby Championship.
The Springboks have just arrived in Australia as they prepare for back-to-back Tests against the Wallabies. South Africa will kick off the 2024 edition of the Rugby Championship at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on Saturday, 10 August, before traveling to Perth for their second clash against the Wallabies on Saturday, 17 August at Optus Stadium.
After these two games, the Springbok coaches are likely to make some squad changes based on player performance and injuries. In light of this, it’s significant that rising star Canan Moodie will return to action for the Bulls in the Currie Cup this weekend after being sidelined by a hand injury in early June.
Moodie will start on the wing as he looks to gain some much-needed game-time. His return will undoubtedly provide another option for the Springbok coaches to consider among the outside backs during the final four Rugby Championship Tests against New Zealand and Argentina.
SPRINGBOKS READY FOR ACTION
The South African team is already well into preparation for their Rugby Championship opener in Brisbane (06:30am kick-off SA time) on 10 August. This will be followed by a clash in Perth the following week (11:45am SA time).
“It’s great to be in Australia, and it has certainly added to our excitement for the Tests against the Wallabies and the Rugby Championship as a whole,” said Springbok assistant coach Mzwandile Stick.
“We had a smooth journey to Brisbane with an overnight flight to Sydney and then made the short trip to Brisbane soon after, so the players were able to rest well on the long-haul flight. They will have additional time tonight (Australia time) to recover from the travel, and then we’ll hit the ground running on the training field on Friday.”
Stick added that facing the Wallabies in Australia is always a big challenge: “Having a few extra days to acclimatise and familiarise ourselves with the conditions will be invaluable. We started the season well with three victories in our four matches to date (against Wales, Ireland, and Portugal), and although we would have loved to win the second Test against Ireland, we have a good base to build from going into the Rugby Championship. Playing against the likes of Australia, New Zealand, and Argentina will definitely be a different challenge to the teams we have faced so far this season, but we enjoy playing against these teams and we are really looking forward to the competition.”
RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP FIXTURES:
- Saturday, 10 August: Australia vs SA (Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane)
- Saturday, 17 August: Australia vs SA (Optus Stadium, Perth)
- Saturday, 31 August: SA vs New Zealand (Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg)
- Saturday, 7 September: SA vs New Zealand (DHL Stadium, Cape Town)
- Saturday, 21 September: Argentina vs SA (Estadio Unico Madre de Ciudades, Santiago)
- Saturday, 28 September: SA vs Argentina (Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit)
