England summon ex-Springbok junior Janse van Rensburg for Nations Championship boost

England have called up former South Africa Under-20 centre Benhard Janse van Rensburg to train with the senior squad ahead of the inaugural Nations Championship this summer. The Bristol Bears midfielder was selected ahead of Bath duo Ollie Lawrence and Max Ojomoh, despite not being officially eligible for England until 8 July due to residency requirements.

Janse van Rensburg will qualify on residency grounds after completing five years in the UK since joining former club London Irish, making him unavailable for the Test against South Africa on 4 July but potentially available for a debut against Fiji the following weekend. The Rugby Football Union successfully appealed to World Rugby for dispensation after the 29-year-old played 21 minutes as a late replacement for South Africa’s Under-20 side in 2016, arguing that the brief appearance should not bind him to South Africa permanently.

Head coach Steve Borthwick is seeking fresh momentum after England finished fifth in the Six Nations, losing four of five games. The call-up of Janse van Rensburg is part of a broader squad refresh that includes Northampton scrum-half Archie McParland, Saracens No. 9 Charlie Bracken, and Leicester wing Adam Radwan, who replaces the omitted Henry Arundell.

Uncapped Bath front-row forwards Vilikesa Sela and Kepu Tuipulotu, both England Under-20 regulars, have also been included in the 42-man squad. Borthwick is considering resting senior players such as captain Maro Itoje for some or all of July’s matches, a strategy endorsed by former England captain Martin Johnson in The Guardian, citing Clive Woodward’s success in resting players before the 2003 Rugby World Cup.

Injured or rehabilitating players unavailable for selection include Fin Baxter, Ben Curry, Elliot Daly, Trevor Davison, Greg Fisilau, Will Muir, Bevan Rodd, and Sam Underhill. The full training squad features forwards such as Jamie Blamire, Ollie Chessum, and Tom Curry, and backs including George Ford, Marcus Smith, and Freddie Steward.