Venter told the media in Mbombela that he’s determined to build on his debut performance after helping South Africa power past Georgia on Saturday.
The Edinburgh loosehead crashed over for a try just eight minutes into the 55-10 victory – and now has his sights firmly set on cracking the squad for the Rugby Championship.
The 28-year-old was part of a completely uncapped front row – alongside Marnus van der Merwe and Neethling Fouché – and made the most of the opportunity handed to him by Rassie Erasmus. Venter impressed with his physicality and work rate before being replaced early in the second half, with the Boks firmly in control at 22-10.
With Erasmus expected to name a trimmed 36-man squad for Tests against New Zealand, Australia and Argentina on Tuesday, Venter’s performance has come at the perfect time. He’s hopeful that it’s enough to keep him in the squad for a little bit longer.
“On the performance side, buzzing to have made my debut and get a try in there as well,” said the burly prop.
“We’ll reflect on the performance in the review – there’s always stuff you can improve on. But overall, just really happy to get on the pitch.”
Venter joined Edinburgh from the Cheetahs in 2021 and had been on course to become eligible for Scotland on residency grounds ahead of the 2026 Six Nations. But a surprise call-up from Erasmus changed the trajectory of his international career — and could yet affect his club future, with Scottish Rugby reportedly set to prioritise homegrown talent going forward.
For now, though, Venter is focused on staying in the Bok mix.
“From being a young boy playing rugby from about five or seven years old, it’s every South African’s dream to play for the Springboks, so when I got that call, that was pretty much it for me.”
The Boks open their Rugby Championship campaign with back-to-back Tests against the Wallabies in Johannesburg (16 August) and Cape Town (23 August).
