Bulls loosie Louw called up to Bok squad

The Springboks on Tuesday called up Bulls loose forward Elrigh Louw to their Nations Championship squad.

SA Rugby said in a statement that Louw was drafted in as “additional forward cover” and that he will join the squad in Johannesburg on Tuesday.

The Boks are preparing for Saturday’s opening Nations Championship Test against England at Ellis Park.

It’s a welcome return to the Bok fold for Louw, who was sidelined for the majority of 2025 due to a serious knee injury. He suffered the horrific injury playing for the Bulls in a URC game against the Lions at Ellis Park in January 2025.

READ | ‘I wouldn’t wish it on anyone’: Elrigh Louw on horror injury that threatened his career

Louw played the last of his 13 Tests against Wales in November 2024.

The 26-year-old bounced back in the 2025/26 campaign with a stellar URC season in which he helped the Bulls reached the final.

After this weekend’s match, the Boks also tackle Scotland at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria (11 July) and Wales at Kings Park in Durban (18 July).

15 Damian Willemse, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Grant Williams, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nche

Substitutes: 16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Zach Porthen, 19 Marco van Staden, 20 Cameron Hanekom, 21 Cobus Reinach, 22 Andre Esterhuizen, 23 Canan Moodie