CAPE TOWN, South Africa -- Jean de Villiers will captain South Africa at the Rugby World Cup despite fracturing his jaw in a test three weeks ago, while veteran scrumhalf Fourie du Preez and No. 8 Duane Vermeulen also made the Springboks' 31-man squad despite not playing an international this season.

Vermeulen, South Africa's player of the year in 2014, had been a big doubt with a neck injury.

Lock Victor Matfield and flanker Schalk Burger were also picked Friday for their fourth World Cups.

The surprise names to make coach Heyneke Meyer's group for the showpiece next month in Britain were uncapped scrumhalf Rudy Paige and fullback Zane Kirchner.

The two-time world champion Springboks will have three players who have more than 100 test caps: De Villiers, Matfield and South African record try-scorer Bryan Habana.