Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus shocked when he included 21-year-old Zachary Porthen in his 23-man match-day squad to face Japan.
The prop is a name unfamiliar to international rugby circles. This comes since he has only played a handful of matches for his local franchise, the Stormers.
Regardless, Erasmus has placed his faith in SA Rugby’s developmental systems. He revealed that he was impressed with what he had seen from the former Junior Springbok captain.
“He proved at United Rugby Championship level and with the Junior Springboks what he can do. We are looking forward to seeing what he can offer in his first Test match,” Erasmus said.
Who is Zachary Porthen?
Standing at 1.89m in height, the tighthead prop is a former pupil of the Wynberg Boys’ High in Cape Town. He is also a member of UCT’s Ikey Tigers squad, which won the 2025 Varsity Cup earlier this year.
Beyond his physical stature, he is a leader and captained the all-boys school during his matric year in 2022 before going on to do the same at Craven Week.
Since captaining the Junior Springboks in 2024, the 21-year-old has only had two years of professional rugby under his belt.
Last year, he expressed optimism after he was included in the Western Province 2024 Currie Cup squad.
Here, he gained much-needed experience playing alongside Rugby World Cup-winner Steven Kitshoff, who at the time returned from playing at Ulster.
Speaking about what the moment meant to him, Porthen said: “I’m just excited to reap the rewards from learning. That’s what I’m trying to take out of being in this environment, to become the best rugby player that I can be.
“For me to play in the United Rugby Championship and potentially become a Springbok, I need to have my scrumming at its best. That’s my main focus at the moment.”
Stormers call-up was the catalyst for Springbok selection
These desires may have materialised faster than initially thought.
Since the start of the new season, Porthen’s rise appears to have been meteoric. After making his Stormers debut in the URC last season, he went on to become a regular name on the match day sheet.
While most appearances were from the bench, injuries to Neethling Fouche and Sazi Sandi allowed him to get his first start against Zebre in Round 4.
Rassie is confident in Zachary Porthen’s abilities
When questioned on the 21-year-old’s ability to execute the game plan at the international level, Erasmus was confident that he had what it takes.
“At this level, you have to sink or swim, so although it will be a challenging week for him to learn our structures, it will also be a very exciting week for him.”
