Rassie Erasmus is known for his razor-sharp rugby mind, but this week the Springboks head coach showed off his sense of humor — and his willingness to keep the peace at home.
When Erasmus named his squad to face the Barbarians this weekend, one selection stood out: uncapped hooker Andre-Hugo Venter. The 23-year-old Stormers forward isn’t just getting his first taste of Test rugby — he’s also dating Erasmus’ daughter, Nikki.
“JJ’s dad will be very upset, and then Andre-Hugo’s girlfriend will be really upset with me,” Erasmus quipped to reporters, referring to fellow uncapped hooker JJ Kotze. “I think it’s time to give those guys a run.”
The Barbarians match, traditionally a fixture for fringe players and those returning from injury, serves as a tune-up before South Africa’s clash with England in two weeks. Erasmus has loaded the starting XV with familiar names like Cheslin Kolbe, Siya Kolisi, and Pieter-Steph du Toit, but the front row is where he’s testing depth.
“The Barbarians game is always organized for a reason — it’s not just a fixture,” Erasmus said. “It’s obviously for guys that haven’t played for a while.”
With Malcolm Marx available but held back, and multiple hookers — including Johan Grobbelaar, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, and Marco van Staden — expected to return from injury soon, Erasmus saw this as the perfect moment to evaluate the next wave. “Malcolm could play this weekend,” he noted. “But when Grobbies comes back, Jan-Hendrik can play hooker, Marco can play hooker, so three hookers actually come back from the Bulls into the setup, and then you have Malcolm, which makes four.”
The Springboks also named a South Africa ‘A’ team to face Zimbabwe, headlined by 2019 World Cup winner Lukhanyo Am. Once a fixture in the national setup, the center has slipped down the pecking order after knee surgery and a stint in Japan. Erasmus sees the ‘A’ match as a possible turning point.
“Lukhanyo… we always want to play him at 12,” Erasmus said. “Between Mzwandile, Tony and Felix, they see something there in him. He got a knee op last year, so he was out for quite a while. He went to Japan, got properly rehabbed. I don’t think he’s back to where he was when he was at his peak, but this can certainly be the first step.”
For Venter, the road to the Springboks jersey started with a family connection — but the hooker will know that keeping his place depends on what he does once he’s on the field.
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