Many professional rugby players will tell you, the Springboks are a hard side to break into. A few players who are undoubtedly good enough for international rugby have finished their careers without ever earning a cap for the national side.
Some like Irish international, CJ Stander have opted to face up to their compatriots instead by pledging their allegiances elsewhere. Many have even gone as far as earning cult status for their adopted countries.
We compiled a list of some of the most notable players to have opted for other pastures. Some you may love to hate.
DTH van der Merwe – Canada
Not a name that will quickly ring a bell – not just because his full name is Daniel Tailliferre Hauman van der Merwe – but because he plays for one of the smaller nations, Canada. His family moved to the country when he was a teenager, where he established himself as one of their best players in history.
Mike Catt – England
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