Springboks powerhouse Thomas du Toit has set his sights on the 2027 Rugby World Cup after the personal disappointments of 2019 and 2023.
The 31-year-old missed the previous global tournament and was only an injury replacement for the World Cup in Japan.
While Du Toit played two matches in Asia and earned a winner’s medal, he never truly felt that he earned his place.
First choice Springbok
However, having now established himself in the Springboks XV, eight years after making his Test debut, his attitude is very different.
The tighthead knows that he still has to play well for his club to be selected, though, starting with Bath where the West Country outfit are looking to win another domestic title.
“My immediate focus is the Premiership because that’s the only focus that we’ve got now. One of my biggest fears is missing a moment with the Premiership and the last couple of weeks we’ve got here,” he told The Good, The Bad and The Rugby podcast.
“I don’t want to miss a beat, I just want to soak up every moment that I’ve got with Bath and I really want to have that sole focus on winning the Premiership.
“Obviously, getting there we still have to qualify and end first or second – we hopefully have four games left to play with the semi-final.”
World Cup goal
Du Toit will then move to the Sharks at the end of the season – a decision he states is purely for family reasons – where the prop will hope to do enough to get into Rassie Erasmus’ squad for the World Cup in Australia.
After the frustration of 2019 and 2023, the front-rower wants to be there on merit rather than an injury replacement, which was what happened in Japan.
“If I think a little bit longer term, I want to play as much as I can for the Springboks to show that I am worthy of being selected for the next World Cup,” he added.
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“And then if I think of a goal after that, I just really want to be selected for a World Cup. I do [have a medal] but I would love to be selected and not be brought in because of injury.
“I’m unbelievably grateful for it still but I want to give everything so that I can be selected. I don’t want there to be any doubts in the fact I want to represent the Springboks.
“I just want to give my best to the team and be selected in the World Cup, and play in the World Cup.”