Rugby World Cup champions, Springboks, have broken camp in Cape Town after their second set of alignment meetings ahead of the International Season, which begins in July.

Springbok Coach, Rassie Erasmus, was so busy with his plans that he was unable to attend the National Orders ceremony at the Union Buildings on Tuesday, where he was honoured with the Order of Ikhamanga in Gold.

The Springboks will play a match against the Barbarians in Gqeberha on June 20, before the first test of the season against England in the Nations Championship in Johannesburg on July 4.

Alignment camps are a key part of the endless planning for the season ahead.

It is one of the reasons why the Springboks team is the two-time and defending world champions, and why their coach, Rassie Erasmus, just received the highest national order in the land earlier in the week.

Erasmus says, “Every year after alignment camps, we say we are happy where we are currently. I guess the proof will always be when we start playing. Are we playing well? But I think what we tried to achieve out of these alignment camps is to introduce youngsters who have not been part of our system, even if it is not just a newcomer, but a guy who has only been to one or two camps. I think in that sense, players are feeling a lot more comfortable getting to know the coaches, getting to understand the structures, and obviously, there are a lot more injured guys not currently here than some guys who just connected virtually, so there were different goals, but most goals were achieved. But it is good and easy to talk now, but it has to translate onto the field when we get there”.

–SABC–