Captain John Smit will lead a squad of 27 players drawn from the Springboks’ preliminary Rugby World Cup squad on the away leg of the Castle Tri-Nations Series, it was announced on Friday. Smit, the most capped international captain in Test rugby, will win his 103rd cap against Australia in Sydney on July 23. A week later the Springboks play New Zealand in Wellington.
The squad features youth and experience, as well as recognising Vodacom Super Rugby form. There are five Rugby World Cup winners in the squad as well as six uncapped players in flyhalf Elton Jantjies, scrumhalf Charl McLeod, loose forward Ashley Johnson and props Coenie Oosthuizen, Werner Kruger and Dean Greyling. All but Greyling have appeared in non-cap matches for the Springboks.
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England cricketer Claire Taylor today announced her retirement from international cricket. A stalwart of women’s cricket, Taylor represented England in 15 Tests, 126 ODIs and 27 T20s in her 14 years with the England team. During her international career Taylor hit 4101 ODI runs, lifted two World Cups, won the Ashes and was the first woman to be named one of Wisden's Five Cricketers of the Year.