Four former Varsity Cup stars will make their first appearance in a Springbok training squad next week after cracking the nod from coach Heyneke Meyer.
Meyer named a wider training squad ahead of the June international window which will see the Boks take on a World XV, Wales and Scotland, and four of the eight new faces have Varsity Cup experience.
Cheetahs flank Teboho Mohoje, Stormers utility back Damian de Allende, Bulls loose forward Jacques du Plessis and Cheetahs lock Lodewyk de Jager will all attend a national training camp in Durban from May 25 to 28 May.
Mohoje is a former UFS-Shimlas captain and even played for them this year before breaking into the Cheetahs squad, De Allende played for UCT in 2012 whilst De Jager played for NWU-Pukke and Du Plessis represented UP-Tuks when they won their second title last year.
All four players have made a big impression in Super Rugby this year for their respective franchises and join fello former Varsity Rugby stars Eben Etzebeth, Trevor Nyakane, JJ Engelbrecht and Juan de Jongh in the training squad.
This continues the steady stream of players who have used the Varsity Cup as a launching pad before going on to earn national colours.
Springbok training squad: Tendai Mtawarira, Trevor Nyakane, Marcel van der Merwe, Jannie du Plessis, Frans Malherbe, Coenie Oosthuizen, Bismarck du Plessis, Adriaan Strauss, Eben Etzebeth, Lodewyk de Jager, Victor Matfield, Flip van der Merwe, Heinrich Brüssow, Marcell Coetzee, Siya Kolisi, Willem Alberts, Jacques du Plessis, Teboho Mohoje, Duane Vermeulen, Schalk Burger, Fourie du Preez, Francois Hougaard, Johan Goosen, Marnitz Boshoff, Jean de Villiers, Damian De Allende, Jan Serfontein, Juan de Jongh, JJ Engelbrecht, Sibusiso Sithole, Frans Steyn, Lwazi Mvovo, Bjorn Basson, JP Pietersen, Cornal Hendricks, Willie le Roux.
