South Africa call up Edinburgh player who becomes Scottish-qualified next year

Edinburgh Rugby prop Boan Venter has been called up by South Africa in a surprise move which looks set to thwart hopes Scotland had of capping him.

Venter, 28, joined Edinburgh from the Cheetahs in February 2021 and has been one of their most consistent players across four and a half seasons.

He is due to become Scottish-qualified next February and could feasibly play in the Six Nations. But the Springboks now appear to have stolen a march on Scotland by selecting Venter who was born in Kimberley, South Africa.

Edinburgh's Boan Venter in action during an EPCR Challenge Cup match against Bayonne. | SNS Group

Boks coach Rassie Erasmus named Venter in a group of 45 players for their forthcoming international season.

With props Gerhard Steenekamp and Ntuthuko Mchunu amongst six players released from the initial 55-man squad due to injuries, Erasmus drafted in Venter – a member of the Junior Springbok training group in 2017 – as the only new addition to his squad.

Commenting on Venter’s call-up, Erasmus said: “Boan has been consistent for Edinburgh in the URC and the EPCR Challenge Cup, and he is familiar with the South African structures after playing for the Toyota Cheetahs and coming through our junior ranks, so we are looking forward to seeing him in action on the field.”

Rassie Erasmus, head coach of South Africa. | Getty Images

 The Springboks will kick off their season against the Barbarians in Cape Town on 28 June, in what will mark the first encounter ever between the sides on South African soil, before the Castle Lager Incoming Series which will see them face Italy in back-to-back Tests in Pretoria and Gqeberha on 5 and 12 July, and Georgia in Nelspruit on 19 July respectively.