The Green and Gold is everything to me, says Vincent Tshituka ahead of SA debut

Vincent Tshituka has his South African passport in hand and ready for it to be stamped for national duty, as he prepares to make his debut in Springbok colours against the Barbarians on Saturday in Cape Town.

After a prolonged saga to obtain South African citizenship and become eligible for the World Cup-winning national team, the 26-year-old has finally put that chapter behind him and is now ready to focus on rugby.

The Barbarians will be the Boks’ first opponents of 2025, with the clash set to take centre stage at Cape Town Stadium at 5.10pm. Tshituka said on Tuesday that receiving his passport – and by extension, citizenship – did not guarantee a place in the national team, but it gave him the opportunity to compete for selection. He is grateful to have achieved it, thanks to the support of his family.

“For me, it was just, ‘let me get the passport, let me be eligible to be in the race (to be selected)’ – because without it, I was never in the race,” Tshituka explained at the team announcement. “I felt like that was just the ticket to participate, and then being selected for a Test match is winning a medal.

“It was something I tried to get for quite a while, and everybody asked me that question. My response was always: getting the passport doesn’t put me in the squad – there’s still a selection process.

“After a good season, people were saying, ‘Ja, you’re going to play for the Springboks, you’re going to make it’. But that was always the best-case scenario for me, and I tried to put it on the back burner.”

Tshituka is well aware of the challenge ahead as he prepares to face top-class opposition in his first outing. However, the loose-forward is focused on staying present as he takes the field alongside captain Siya Kolisi and eighth man Jean-Luc du Preez in the Boks’ first match of the year.

The Barbarians boast a star-studded squad including Ireland’s Peter O’Mahony and New Zealanders Sam Cane, Shannon Frizzell, Lachlan Boshier and Hoskins Sotutu – a formidable force, particularly at the breakdown.

Despite the calibre of his opponents, Tshituka is staying focused on his own role.

“To be honest with you, I haven’t even thought about the players I’m facing,” he said of his baptism of fire.

“No disrespect to them and how they are feeling ahead of this game, but I must still take in how I feel and what I am going through. My moment is where I want to be present, and I will keep my mind focused on that.

“It will be an emotional game for them, because it is at the back end of their careers. However, I must get over the emotion and get stuck in.

“The Green and Gold is everything to me and my family, who have supported me along this journey. That is already a big enough occasion.”