Jaden Hendrikse has been called up to join the Springbok squad in Cape Town on Monday as additional scrumhalf cover in the build-up to the Castle Lager Lions Series decider on Saturday 7 August.

Hendrikse – who was nominated for the World Rugby U20 Championship Breakthrough Player of the Tournament award in 2019 following a series of consistently superb performances for the Junior Springboks – will provide additional cover in the specialist position, where he joins Faf de Klerk, Herschel Jantjies and Cobus Reinach in the squad.

“Jaden is a talented player, and he has been in SA Rugby’s junior structures from a young age, so we are excited to see what he can do at this level,” said Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber.

“We are in the opening stages of a physically demanding season with the Castle Lager Rugby Championship starting next week, so this will serve as a great opportunity to expose him to our structures and at the same time allow us to expand our depth with an eye on the future.”

After the final Test in the Castle Lager Lions Series on Saturday, the Springboks will travel from Cape Town to Nelson Mandela Bay for the opening two Tests of the Castle Lager Rugby Championship, against Argentina on 14 and 21 August respectively.