The Bok winger received his first Springbok call-up on 8 June 2024 and less than two weeks later made his Test debut against Wales at Twickenham Stadium in London on 22 June.
In an emotional interview for SA Rugby's new series 'A Local Laaitie', Van der Merwe revealed how he nearly missed the life-changing call-up.
It all started with an unfamiliar number popping up on his phone late at night, prompting Van der Merwe to do what many people would in the same situation - decline the call.
"So I'm lying in bed on I think it was Saturday evening. My wife's sleeping next to me and like this weird number phones me at eleven o'clock at night," he recalled.
"I look at it and I don't recognise it and decline the call. And I go back to watching 'Drive to Survive' and I just see the little WhatsApp pops up and it says, 'It's oom Charles Wessels from the Springboks. I'm trying to get a hold of you but you're not picking up.'
"My whole body went cold and I'm like 'Yo, did I just like decline this call I've been waiting for my whole life?'."
Realising who had been trying to contact him, the winger immediately responded.
"So I sent him on the WhatsApp like 'Sorry I missed your call. Um can I phone you back' and he immediately phoned back to say no congratulations, I'm in the squad.
"When he sent a message I put on all the lights and my wife's sleeping she's looking at me like 'what are you busy doing?'.
"I told her and it was such a surreal moment for us."
The memory remains as powerful as ever for Van der Merwe, who started to shed tears while retelling the story.
"I just get emotional like thinking about it now. Sorry. It's like I'm living all of it all of those emotions again. It's kind of something that you dream about for so long and like when it comes along..."
For Van der Merwe, the call-up was the fulfilment of a lifelong dream, one that reflects what it means to so many players to represent the Springboks and achieve the highest honour in South African rugby.
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