Boks to set up training camp on Mediterranean island
Jacques Nienaber revealed the Springboks will have a training camp in the picturesque city of Bastia on the Mediterranean island of Corsica in August.
The camp will be held after their last warm-up match against New Zealand at Twickenham on August 25.
The Boks will be based on the mountainous island southeast of the French mainland until the beginning of September, when they will travel to their base in Toulon for the World Cup opener against Scotland on September 10.
“The Corsica camp will be ideal for the players to adapt to the conditions in France while fine-tuning our preparations for our first World Cup game,” Nienaber said.
“We reaped the rewards of spending time in Japan before the 2019 Rugby World Cup, and hopefully this camp will be equally beneficial in getting the players used to the climate and culture in France.
“I’d like to thank the executive council of Corsica and the Corsica Rugby League for welcoming us for this important camp.”
Nienaber was speaking after the first of two preparation camps in Durban as they launched their 2023 international season.
According to Nienaber, the aim of the camp which wrapped up on Friday was to get the players to switch into Test mode following their club and franchise commitments and lay the groundwork for the season that will culminate with the World Cup in France.
The second training camp, which will also take place in Durban, will run from May 29 to 31.
“This camp was invaluable in getting the coaches and players on the same page in terms of our structures and systems as we prepare for this important season,” Nienaber said.
“The message from the coaches from day one was that the players had to leave the camp knowing what we expect from them on and off the field in the next few months as we look to select our Rugby World Cup squad in August.
“We have another training camp in Durban in two weeks, which will feature a bigger squad as we welcome the DHL Stormers after the Vodacom United Rugby Championship Grand Final, and perhaps a few more Japanese players who have completed their club commitments.
“That camp will give us another opportunity to get the players into the swing of things before our Pretoria training camp in June.”
Nienaber added they were delighted with the quality of the training sessions and how receptive the players were in the off-field sessions.
“We believe we have a fantastic base to work from,” he said.
“We also had the opportunity to assess the injured players and we’ll monitor their progress and rehabilitation closely in the next few months.
“All in all, we are in a good frame of mind as our first Castle Lager Rugby Championship Test against Australia approaches. ”—