Jacques Nienaber and Siya Kolisi are excited to mark the 100-day milestone to the World Cup together as the Springboks concluded their latest training camp in Durban.

Nienaber and captain Kolisi, who attended both preparation camps in Durban as he continues his rehabilitation following surgery to his knee, are pleased with the building blocks the team had put in place in their two KZN camps, and they are looking forward to their next training camp in June.

The Springbok training squad built on their first preparation camp in Durban two weeks ago with a series of field training sessions, gym sessions, and team meetings.

With 100 days to go until the start of the World Cup in France, Nienaber says the Springboks realised the importance of making the most of every moment in the lead-up to the tournament.

“Seeing the worldwide hype around the 100-day mark from the World Cup today was great, and it was awesome to share that moment with the training squad,” says Nienaber.

“One can sense the urgency and excitement among the players to get the ball rolling full-time, which starts next month. We have a challenging and exciting journey ahead to the World Cup, and we are all looking forward to giving our best in an attempt to defend our title.”

Kolisi is equally thrilled about this significant World Cup milestone and says he and his teammates are psyched up for the season and are working hard to prepare as well as possible for the showpiece.

“It’s unbelievable to think that it was almost four years ago since we lifted the Webb Ellis Cup in Japan, and the players have been working hard to give us the best possible chance to defend our title,” says Kolisi.

“The memories of lifting the trophy and the emotional scenes of the fans waiting at the airport when we arrived home and lining the streets countrywide on our trophy tour were unforgettable moments. And while we know this World Cup is going to be extremely challenging, we would love to experience that again and give the people of our country something to smile about.

“We have 100 days to get everything in place for the competition, and we’ll give everything to ensure that we are ready both physically and mentally.”