Manie Libbok & the Boks sunshine gift that comes from playing in Japan

Manie Libbok has flourished in Japan and he will be integral to the Springboks No 10 strength in the next six months.

Ruan Nortje and Kurt-Lee Arendse leave the Bulls for club rugby in Japan next season, and while it is a blow to the Bulls, it is a gift to the Springboks.

Manie Libbok Japan Rugby

Much is made of Rassie Erasmus’s selections for his alignment camps in South Africa, but much of what has defined the Springboks’ success comes from those playing club rugby in Japan.

And primary to that elite group of stars is Cheslin Kolbe and, most recently, Libbok.

Kolbe is returning to the Stormers next season, but for the past few years it could easily of been a case of out of sight is out of mind.

But in Kolbe’s case, it can never be so. Equally true for those World Cup-winning Springboks who turn up every weekend and excel in the Japanese leagues.

Kolbe had a stunning league season for Tokyo Sungoliath, where he added goalkicking to his responsibilities and his match-winning influence.

Kolbe’s Sungoliath lost in the semi-finals of Japan’s League one on Saturday.

World Cup winner and Boks No 10 Libbok, who plays for Hanazono Kinetsu Liners in the Japanese Second Division, topped the list with 165 points from 14 matches.

Libbok’s shares have strengthened in his absence, more so with the uncertainty of the fitness of Stormers No 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, who got injured against Cardiff in the United Rugby Championship quarter-finals.

Initial reports suggest Feinberg-Mngomezulu will be out for three months.

Springboks hooker Malcolm Marx, whose 33 tries in 56 matches is the most scored historically by a foreign-based player in Japan’s Division One, has been a consistent stand out, while Damian de Allende, Jesse Kriel, Faf de Klerk and Franco Mostert are always in the rugby news for all the right reasons.

Kwagga Smith suffered a season ending injury last week, but Lukhanyo Am has had his moments in his brief time in Japan and Lood de Jager, who has recovered from injury has been a presence whenever he has played.

Pieter-Steph du Toit, one of the big names at Toyota Verblitz, has been plagued by injury since joining the club four years ago. In the same period, he played 38 club matches and 37 Test matches for the Springboks.

Jasper Wiese, who relocated to Japan from England’s Leicester, has also struggled with injury lay-offs, but he has been impressive when he has played.

Outside of Japan, Thomas du Toit has been the most talked-about prop in England and Europe. Du Toit was central to Bath’s charge to the Investec Championship Cup semi-final and he has been outstanding in the English Premiership.

He will return to South Africa to play for the Sharks next season, but his impact for Bath is like that made by Andre Esterhuizen during his three seasons for London’s Harlequins.

Erasmus’s overseas-based selections highlight his trust in a core group of players who have won everything with the Springboks, but he has recognized the form of Bordeaux tighthead prop Carlu Sadie and Northampton Saints lock JJ van der Mescht.

Both Sadie and Van der Mescht are uncapped at Test level but were named in the only overseas-based Boks alignment camp this year.

Sadie started for Bordeaux in the winning Investec Champions Cup final against Leinster, marking his eighth successive start in eight tournament matches in 2025/26.

Sadie, in 2025/26, has started in 24 of his 30 matches for Bordeaux.

The 29-year-old’s career is peaking after a decade spent playing in Super Rugby, Super Rugby Unlocked, Rainbow Cup SA, the United Rugby Championship, France’s Top 14 and the Investec Champions Cup.

Sadie is a former South Africa under-20 international who has played for the Stormers, Stade Francais, the Lions, the Sharks and Bordeaux.

Van der Mescht played three seasons for the Sharks in South Africa before moving to Paris where he played 87 matches in four seasons for Stade Francais.

He signed for Northampton Saints in England, where he had made his biggest on-field statement by starting 19 of his 24 matches.

Erasmus also rewarded French based Jean-Luc du Preez and Herschel Jantjies and Boan Venter (Scotland) and Marnus van der Merwe (Wales) in the group of 21.

Surprisingly, No 8 Juarno Augustus was not invited.

Augustus was picked by Erasmus last season but withdrew because of injury. He had been fantastic for Northampton Saints.

This season, playing for Ulster, he has been just as good.

The Boks, a month out from their international season opener against the Barbarians on the 20^th June, are in good health in most of the positions.

Lock and scrumhalf are the two areas where there are opportunities for newbies because of injury to Test regulars.