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Cape Town – A team comprising star players in the French and English leagues, four Sevens players and six Springboks, will take on the Kings in Port Elizabeth on June 4.
According to an exclusive Sport24 report, former Boks Pedrie Wannenburg (Ulster), Marco Wentzel (Leeds), Gcobani Bobo (Newcastle), Brent Russell (Clermont), Michael Claassens and Heinke van der Merwe (Leinster) have been invited to play for a Premier XV team against the Kings at the Nelson Mandela Bay stadium in a match that will also be attended by Bok coach Peter de Villiers.
The match, which was organised to prepare the Kings for the IRB Nations Cup which begins a week later in Romania, will give these six former Boks a chance to convince De Villiers one last time that they should still be included in his Rugby World Cup squad.
De Villiers said during the past week that he would be open to selecting overseas players for his RWC squad.
Several other South Africans who are currently playing overseas, will also be involved.
Joe Pietersen, Sam Gerber, Conrad Barnard, Ryno Gerber, Coenie Basson and Willie Wepener have all agreed to play in the historic match.
Blitzbokke coach Paul Treu will be part of the coaching team and has requested that Sevens stars Cecil Afrika and Kyle Brown also be included.
Stefan Basson, who was a key player in Treu's Sevens squad in the past, and who currently plies his trade in Italy, also has agreed to play in the game.
Two unheralded players who are currently making a name for themselves overseas – Petrus du Plessis and Hanno Dirksen – will also be in action and could attract attention from local unions.
Du Plessis has been be a shining light for some time now as a tighthead for Saracens in the Aviva English Premiership as well as in the Heineken Cup.
Former Bok prop Cobus Visagie said recently that Du Plessis should be considered for the Springboks.
"He is a better tighthead than any other in South Africa. He has a good technique and is seldom penalised. He is fit and better on defence than any of the tightheads in South Africa."
Dirksen, 19, is the son of the former Blue Bulls player Hansie Dirksen who now lives in the United States. He plays for the Ospreys where he challenges for a starting berth with world stars Tommy Bowe and Shane Williams.
Among the star players in France are Wessel Jooste, who has played in more than 150 matches for Bourgoin in the French Top 14 and former Sharks star, Biarritz's Eduard Coetzee.
Schalk Brits and Joe van Niekerk were also invited but had to decline as they will be in action for the British Barbarians against Wales that day.
Van Niekerk will, however, be available for the Premier XV's planned match against Namibia in Windhoek on June 25.
That match was organised to help the local team prepare for the World Cup.
Derick Hougaard, currently recovering after a heel operation, is also expected to play in Windhoek and will be out to catch De Villiers's eye.
Match promoter Willem Strauss didn't want to confirm all the big names for the match.
"We will make an announcement this week. We try to help Peter (De Villiers) by bringing in some overseas stars."
Cape Town – A team comprising star players in the French and English leagues, four Sevens players and six Springboks, will take on the Kings in Port Elizabeth on June 4.
According to an exclusive Sport24 report, former Boks Pedrie Wannenburg (Ulster), Marco Wentzel (Leeds), Gcobani Bobo (Newcastle), Brent Russell (Clermont), Michael Claassens and Heinke van der Merwe (Leinster) have been invited to play for a Premier XV team against the Kings at the Nelson Mandela Bay stadium in a match that will also be attended by Bok coach Peter de Villiers.
The match, which was organised to prepare the Kings for the IRB Nations Cup which begins a week later in Romania, will give these six former Boks a chance to convince De Villiers one last time that they should still be included in his Rugby World Cup squad.
De Villiers said during the past week that he would be open to selecting overseas players for his RWC squad.
Several other South Africans who are currently playing overseas, will also be involved.
Joe Pietersen, Sam Gerber, Conrad Barnard, Ryno Gerber, Coenie Basson and Willie Wepener have all agreed to play in the historic match.
Blitzbokke coach Paul Treu will be part of the coaching team and has requested that Sevens stars Cecil Afrika and Kyle Brown also be included.
Stefan Basson, who was a key player in Treu's Sevens squad in the past, and who currently plies his trade in Italy, also has agreed to play in the game.
Two unheralded players who are currently making a name for themselves overseas – Petrus du Plessis and Hanno Dirksen – will also be in action and could attract attention from local unions.
Du Plessis has been be a shining light for some time now as a tighthead for Saracens in the Aviva English Premiership as well as in the Heineken Cup.
Former Bok prop Cobus Visagie said recently that Du Plessis should be considered for the Springboks.
"He is a better tighthead than any other in South Africa. He has a good technique and is seldom penalised. He is fit and better on defence than any of the tightheads in South Africa."
Dirksen, 19, is the son of the former Blue Bulls player Hansie Dirksen who now lives in the United States. He plays for the Ospreys where he challenges for a starting berth with world stars Tommy Bowe and Shane Williams.
Among the star players in France are Wessel Jooste, who has played in more than 150 matches for Bourgoin in the French Top 14 and former Sharks star, Biarritz's Eduard Coetzee.
Schalk Brits and Joe van Niekerk were also invited but had to decline as they will be in action for the British Barbarians against Wales that day.
Van Niekerk will, however, be available for the Premier XV's planned match against Namibia in Windhoek on June 25.
That match was organised to help the local team prepare for the World Cup.
Derick Hougaard, currently recovering after a heel operation, is also expected to play in Windhoek and will be out to catch De Villiers's eye.
Match promoter Willem Strauss didn't want to confirm all the big names for the match.
"We will make an announcement this week. We try to help Peter (De Villiers) by bringing in some overseas stars."
