Springbok Bolter Markus Muller Set to Break Frans Steyn's 20-Year-Old Record in November
- Rassie Erasmus handed a shock call-up to 19-year-old Stormers centre Markus Muller for South Africa's Nations Championship campaign
- Muller already holds the record as the youngest player to debut for the Stormers, having broken a mark set by Damian Willemse
- A record held by Frans Steyn since 2006 could fall if Muller takes to the field in any of South Africa's four remaining Tests in November
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Teenage centre Markus Muller has received a shock call-up to the Springboks squad for the Nations Championship, and stands on the verge of becoming the youngest Test debutant in South African professional rugby history.
Source: Instagram
Muller, who is 19 years old, was among six surprise inclusions named by head coach Rassie Erasmus ahead of South Africa's remaining four international fixtures against Italy, France, Ireland, and Finals' Weekend.
A record set to fall
The milestone Muller is chasing belongs to double Rugby World Cup winner Frans Steyn, now director of rugby at the Cheetahs, who made his Test debut under coach Jake White against Ireland on 11 November 2006 at 19 years and 181 days old.
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Should Muller feature against Italy, he would be just 19 years and 118 days old, comfortably inside Steyn's record. Even if he is held back until Finals' Weekend, he would still be younger than Steyn was on debut.
Fellow teenager Luan Giliomee, also included in the squad, cannot break Steyn's record but could slot in as the second-youngest Springbok debutant in the professional era, edging ahead of Canan Moodie, who debuted at 19 years and 302 days against Australia in September 2022.
Muller's rapid rise through the ranks
Muller first attracted national attention through his performances for Paarl Gimnasium before joining the Stormers senior squad directly from school.
He made history at club level when he ran out for the Stormers against Glasgow Warriors in the United Rugby Championship at just 18 years, 9 months and 19 days old, breaking the previous record set by Damian Willemse and becoming only the second player to represent the Cape Town side before turning 19.
His trajectory accelerated sharply this year. He earned a place in the South Africa A squad that faced Zimbabwe, scoring a try against the Sables, before earning selection for Kevin Foote's Junior Boks at the World Rugby U20 Championship. He started the semi-final and final of that tournament, scoring in the title-clinching victory over France.
Erasmus had already shown interest in the youngster, inviting him to the Springboks' first alignment camp of the year. Despite that early exposure to the senior environment, few anticipated a full squad call-up so soon.
The youngest Springboks debutants in the professional era, according to statistics from bokhist.com, are as follows: Frans Steyn (19 years, 181 days), Canan Moodie (19 years, 302 days), Chilliboy Ralepelle (19 years, 349 days), Pat Lambie (20 years, 20 days), and Vusi Moyo (20 years, 27 days).
Springboks November 2026 fixtures
Briefly News previously reported that the Springboks begin their November 2026 tour against Italy on Saturday, 7 November. South Africa face France in Paris on Friday, 13 November, before taking on Ireland in Dublin
All three Tests form part of the inaugural Nations Championship, with the tour concluding ahead of Finals Weekend in London
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Source: Briefly News
