Cheslin Kolbe has been ruled out of South Africa’s Nations Championship campaign after suffering a broken jaw during the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour.

The winger picked up the injury during South Africa’s Test against New Zealand at FNB Stadium in Soweto.

Kolbe was forced off just nine minutes into the 29-24 win over the All Blacks. He took a heavy blow while making a tackle inside the Springboks’ 22.

Head coach Rassie Erasmus later confirmed that Kolbe had broken his jaw, ruling him out for the rest of the series.

South Africa went on to win the series 3-1, strengthening their position at the top of the world rankings ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup. The Springboks will be aiming to win a third straight World Cup title in Australia.

SA Rugby Mag have reported that Stormers head coach John Dobson discussed the extent of Kolbe’s injury during a press conference this week.

“He’s not going to make the Springbok tour, but he’s available for us from the start of December,” he said. “He’s attending team meetings, he’s so involved, we can’t wait to have him. So there’s a silver lining in that.

“I’m sure the Springboks are going to miss him on the end-of-year tour. I don’t know if he makes it, maybe later on in the tour, I’m not close enough to it. But I know he’s with us from the beginning of December onwards.

“Because in South African rugby, they speak of that three-week compulsory rest period as ‘beer and braai’. I think neither would apply for Cheslin, but at least he’s got his rest and he’s ready to go, so he’s very excited about that.”

The Springboks face Italy, France and Ireland away from home during the Nations Championship before travelling to Allianz Stadium for the finals weekend.

If South Africa finish as the highest-ranked Southern Hemisphere side, they will face the top-ranked Northern Hemisphere team to decide the winner of the inaugural competition.

With back-to-back World Cup titles already secured, Erasmus’ side will be keen to make another statement ahead of next year’s tournament in Australia.

However, they will have to do so without one of their biggest stars for the foreseeable future.

Pick Your Springboks XV

Rassie Erasmus has plenty of big calls to make ahead of the Nations Championship. But who would make your starting XV?

Take charge of the Springboks and pick your dream team. Choose your 15 players and see how your selections compare with other fans.