The tough training did not lead to success on the field

The players are shown holding rugby balls or water cans in front of their private parts, standing in a lake.

Team manager Gideon Sam has denied that they had been ordered to crawl naked through the bush or threatened with guns at "Camp Steel Wire".

"The guys were pushed hard, but that is what preparing for battle is about," he said.

The intensive preparations, organised by a former special services operative for the South African police, failed to bring results on the pitch.

The Springboks were beaten by England in the group stages and eventually lost 29-9 to New Zealand in the quarter-finals.

Last week, another South African newspaper reported that the players were told to climb into a foxhole, where recordings of the English national anthem and New Zealand's haka, or war-chant, were played.

Ice-cold water was also poured over their heads.

Captain Krige would not recommend some parts of the training

The players were also abandoned in the bush at night with only an egg, a chicken and a match. They were told to cook a meal, but not allowed to eat it.

When they were finally given a chance to sleep, they were woken every 15 minutes by gunfire.

Captain Corne Krige said he would not recommend some parts of the camp for future rugby training but added that lot of elements were good for team spirit.

The exercises were held at a location north of Pretoria in September, the paper reported.

Ken Jennings, a South African sports psychologist, said he was "quite horrified" to learn of the activities.

He described them as "a drive towards conformity and total rigidity that is based on the fear factor".