'We always want to get better': Siya Kolisi hails new faces in Springbok camp

Preparations are underway for the 2026 international season, with Rassie Erasmus conducting the first alignment camp this week with 49 locally-based players congregating in Cape Town.

Reflecting on a year where the Springboks lost just twice, won the Rugby Championship for a second year in a row and went unbeaten at the end-of-year tour again, Kolisi sums it up as a "good year" but says that the team is hungry to improve.

"Last season was good, but we are never satisfied," he told SuperSport at the 2025 SA Rugby Awards evening.

"We always want to get better because we know that the other teams are coming for us, but also within our standards, we want to get better."

Erasmus, who was named the SA Rugby coach of the year for 2025, has invited 11 uncapped players to the camp as he takes a closer look at the depth at his disposal in what will be a jam-packed international season.

Kolisi is pleased to see so many new faces in the Bok structures.

"The camp has been good to get aligned and see new faces in the group," he added.

"It's really great how coach Rassie is building squad depth because we want to do that while we are winning. It's important that we never settle and always want to get better.

"It's important with the more experienced guys there, they can pass on some of that experience, but they also come in knowing that this is what you need to do to get there.

"And for us (experienced players), we know that we cannot get too settled because we know that there are so many guys pushing through. It's great to know that if something happens to someone, no one has to worry because the next generation is in good hands."