BIG READ: Could Ruan Venter become Eben Etzebeth’s heir apparent?

2026-03-20 - 08:11

Bruising Lions utility forward Ruan Venter could be the perfect long term replacement for Springbok legend Eben Etzebeth. One-cap Bok Venter is just 23 and thus has age on his side, plus he has the utility value that national coach Rassie Erasmus almost requires from his players nowadays, with him primarily a loose forward, but now considered a real option at No 4 lock. Last year Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen played Venter at lock for the first time, and with the massive competition for places in the loose forward positions these days, we may be seeing him pack down in the second row a lot more often going forward. The Lions‘ current loose forward stocks include captain Francke Horn, exciting rising talents Batho Hlekani and Siba Mahashe, Renzo du Plessis, Jarod Cairns, Siba Qoma and the injured JC Pretorius, making for an absolutely stacked department. Thus, when asked about a possible shift to lock, Venter admitted that he was more than comfortable with the switch, explaining that he particularly enjoyed the scrum more. “I have no problem covering lock, I quite enjoy it, and I enjoy the scrums especially. So when you play lock, you can contribute a bit more in the scrums,” said Venter earlier this week. “So whatever the teams need me to be, I can fulfill that role and just try and get better because I am not as comfortable at No 4 yet. “Every day I am just trying to improve on that and just get the details for that role and the small things they need me to do in that role.” Twilight of career With 34-year-old Etzebeth into the twilight of his career, and with Erasmus saying that the Boks are in need of more quality locks, Venter could be exactly what they need to fill that void. The Boks’ current crop of locks include Lood de Jager, RG Snyman, Ruan Nortje and Franco Mostert, who are all primarily No 5 locks, while Etzebeth, Jean Kleyn, and Salmaan Moerat are essentially the No 4 locks. Cobus Wiese is also in the mix as a No 4 lock, while JJ van der Mescht was invited to the Bok virtual alignment camp and is a No 5 lock. Venter was himself invited to the normal Bok alignment camp which took place at the start of the month, and he once again enjoyed an experience he has had before, when he was invited over the past two years. “It’s always a massive privilege to be recognised, it means they have their eye on you. But it’s only the first step. There is still a lot of work to be done,” said Venter. “Taking what they told us at the alignment camp and applying it to your game, and with that being said, improving your game overall. “Because now you have alignment on what they see and what they look at, where you can improve, and what they are happy with. It is amazing to be part of that, but it’s not like being selected. Now I can work hard and prove myself over the next six to eight weeks.” Lions URC Looking forward, Venter is now fully focused on putting his all into the Lions in their quest to qualify for the United Rugby Championship (URC) playoffs for the first time. He is also targeting a good run of games, as he has played very little over the past few months, first due to a ban and then concussion keeping him out, and will want to put in some barnstorming performances to aid his Springbok ambitions. “The break was not nice and I have only played in two matches this year. Fortunately both of those matches were against other South African teams,” said Venter. “It helps your confidence if you do well against those teams and then you should be able to stand your ground against overseas teams as well. “There are still six matches left before the playoffs, where you can build momentum. I’m looking forward to getting back on the field and proving myself.” The Lions face Edinburgh in a URC match at Ellis Park on Saturday at 2.45pm.