Towering lock Riley Norton will lead the Junior Springbok into battle at the third edition of Sanzaar’s U20 Rugby Championship in Gqeberha from April 27 to May 9.
The tournament, featuring teams from South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina, will be played at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on three match days (April 27 and May 3 and 9).
Junior Bok head coach Kevin Foote has included four members of the SA U20 squad that won the Junior World Championship in Italy in 2025, as well as several of the most promising young local rugby talents.
Apart from Norton, Siphosethu Mnebelele, Oliver Reid and Vusi Moyo were members of the successful Junior Bok side of last year.
No stone will be left unturned to ensure the Junior Boks’ preparations for the Sanzaar U20 Rugby Championship in Gqeberha from April 27 to May 9 are spot on, says assistant coach Lumumba Currie.
The tournament will feature the best young talent from SA, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina, with big crowds expected to attend matches played at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on three match days (April 27 and May 3 and 9).
The Junior Boks took another significant step towards the Rugby Championship when they engaged in a high-intensity training session against the Boland Cavaliers in hot and humid conditions in Wellington last week.
A gruelling session against the seasoned Cavaliers provided a stark contrast to the Junior Boks’ previous training and international outings thus far.
Facing a side bolstered by Currie Cup, SA Cup and United Rugby Championship campaigners, the SA U20s were forced to adapt to a significantly higher physical and tactical threshold, in testing conditions.
“We want to leave for Gqeberha with the confidence that we have ticked the boxes we set for ourselves,” Currie said. “We will leave no stone unturned. This training block leading up to the Rugby Championship is vital.
The value for our guys is that there is no room for error. You must learn quickly because we are heading into our Test match season now
“The Junior Boks went up against men in the Boland side who are household provincial names. The value for our guys is that there is no room for error. You must learn quickly because we are heading into our Test match season now.”
Currie said the transition from Varsity Cup intensity — following recent sessions against Maties and Ikeys — to training with a battle-hardened Carling Currie Cup Premier Division playoff contender like Boland provided the “tough hit-out” the group required.
Underlining the leap in physicality, the Junior Bok assistant coach said testing themselves against a seasoned provincial unit was essential for exposing the squad to the demands of what can expect at international level.
Boland used the exercise as part of their preparations for important SA Cup clashes that lie ahead.
“We’ve brought in a number of youngsters to try and build depth going forward,” Currie said.
The current squad of 43 players will be trimmed down to 31 towards the end of next week before the Junior Boks head for the Eastern Cape for the Rugby Championship.
The event in Gqeberha will be the third edition of Sanzaar U20 tournament, and the second in a row to be staged at the Nelson Mandela Stadium.
Last year’s event was a massive success, and we are thrilled that this tournament will be returning to Gqeberha
The Junior Boks will kick off their bid for glory a with an opening match against Argentina on April 27.
The SA vs Argentina game (4.10pm kickoff) is the late game in a double header, which also features an opening clash between New Zealand and Australia at 2pm on Freedom Day.
SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer said it was a feather in the cap of SA Rugby and the Eastern Cape to host the third instalment of this tournament for a second time. “Last year’s event was a massive success, and we are thrilled that this tournament will be returning to Gqeberha,” he said.
Tickets for the U20 Rugby Championship will be priced from R35 per person per day for two matches, and will be sold exclusively by Ticketmaster.
Fixtures
April 27:
2pm: New Zealand v Australia;
4.10pm: Junior Boks v Argentina.
May 3:
2pm: New Zealand v Argentina;
4.10pm: Junior Boks v Australia.
May 9:
2pm: Argentina v Australia;
4.10pm: Junior Boks v New Zealand.
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They are joined in the squad by Markus Muller, Ethan Adams (both centres), Gert Kemp (No 8) and Kai Pratt (prop), all of whom played for the SA U-18 side last year.
The Junior Bok squad was picked from the SA U20 training group who had been preparing for the forthcoming Sanzaar event in Stellenbosch for the past two weeks.
Cheswill Jooste (wing) and Zekhethelo Siyaya (fullback) were placed on standby pending their duties in the United Rugby Championship, along with Jade Muller and Akahluwa Boqwana.
Injury also ruled out regular Junior Bok training squad member Luan Giliomee after the Blitzbok utility player sustained a niggle which prevented him from attending the latest training camp.
Foote said to reduce the training squad from 43 players to 31 for the tournament had not been easy.
“We asked a lot of the group over the past two weeks, because we wanted to step up the intensity and increase their fitness, and they responded splendidly,” he said.
“The Junior Boks know from experience that the Southern Hemisphere teams play a high-tempo game, and we are looking forward to playing an exciting brand of rugby with lots of ball in play.
“We tailored our camp programme around those focus areas so that we can prepare our players accordingly for what they will encounter in the Rugby Championship.
“We also continued to work hard on our cohesion and our game model, and the coaching staff are very pleased with the effort of all the young men.
The wheels were set in motion for the Sanzaar U20 Rugby Championship tournament in Gqeberha from April 27 to May 9 when Junior Bok coach Kevin Foote named a training squad on Thursday.
The event will feature the best young talent from SA, New Zealand, Australia, and Argentina, with big crowds expected to attend matches played at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on three match days (April 27 and May 3 and 9).
The squad will gather for a two-week camp in Stellenbosch from April 6 to 19 to prepare for the Gqeberha tournament.
Sharks utility back Luan Giliomee, who recently made his international debut for the Blitzboks, has been named as a utility player.
Bulls wing Cheswill Jooste, who, like Vusi Moyo, was also a member of last year’s successful Junior Bok side, was not considered for this training camp due to his URC commitments.
Alongside their daily field and gym sessions in Stellenbosch, the Junior Boks will take part in two training chukkas against the Boland Cavaliers in Wellington, with a similar training drill planned against EP.
Foote described the naming of the extended squad as another key step in the team’s build‑up, and said the recent tour to Georgia had been a critical part of their preparation.
“Georgia gave us a great opportunity to play and grow together as a team and to test our set pieces against a formidable pack,” he said.
“Our experience in Gqeberha in 2025 was that the surface can be soft underfoot, which led to several players cramping.
“So, we want to ensure our fitness levels match how we intend to play, especially against teams who favour a fast‑paced game.”
Junior Springbok training squad:
Props: Oliver Reid (Stormers), Rambo Kubheka (Sharks), Jordan Jooste (Stormers), Cecil Parson (Lions); Danie Kruger (Stormers), Kai Pratt (Sharks), Luan van der Berg (Bulls), Bongani Dlamini (Bulls)
Hookers: Siphosethu Mnebelele (Bulls), Liam van Wyk (Sharks), Mahle Sithole (Lions), Altus Rabe (Stormers)
Locks: Heinrich Theron (Bulls), Riley Norton (Stormers), JD Hattingh (Lions), AJ Meyer (Stormers), Tom Barnard (Stormers)
Loose forwards: Kebotile Maake (Bulls), Risima Khosa (Lions), Luann Olivier (Sharks), Luke Canon (Lions), Thomas Beling (Bulls), Wasi Vyambwera (Sharks), Sibusiso Mahlangu (Cheetahs), Bohlale Maphisa (Cheetahs), Gert Kemp (Stormers)
Scrumhalves: Hendré Schoeman (Bulls), Jayden Brits (Stormers), Jandrian Goosen (Bulls)
Flyhalves: Yaqeen Ahmed (Stormers), Vusi Moyo (Sharks), Alzeadon Felix (Sharks)
Centres: Ethan Adams (Lions), Christian Vorster (Bulls), Winton Abrahams (CUT), Samuel Badenhorst (Stormers), Markus Muller (Stormers)
Outside backs: Dylan Miller (Stormers), Junaide Stuart (Bulls), Khuthadzo Rasivhaga (Sharks), Lindsey Jansen (Bulls), Jack Benade (Stormers), Zekhethelo Siyaya (Sharks), Jade Muller (Cheetahs)
Utility player: Luan Giliomee (Sharks)
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“Unfortunately, we can only take a squad of 31, and so we feel for those players who missed out on final selection.
We will fine-tune our final preparations in Gqeberha before our opening match on April 27 against Argentina.”
With the Junior World Championship in mind, in June and July in Georgia, the Junior Bok coach said the door was not closed on those players who missed out on selection.
Props: Oliver Reid (Stormers), Rambo Kubheka (Sharks), Jordan Jooste (Stormers), Danie Kruger (Stormers), Kai Pratt (Sharks).
Hookers: Siphosethu Mnebelele (Bulls), Liam van Wyk (Sharks).
Locks: Heinrich Theron (Bulls), Riley Norton (captain, Stormers), JD Hattingh (Lions), Jaythen Orange (Lions).
Loose forwards: Kebotile Maake (Bulls), Risima Khosa (Lions), Luke Canon (Lions), Thomas Beling (Bulls), Wasi Vyambwera (Sharks), Gert Kemp (Stormers).
Scrumhalves: Hendré Schoeman (Bulls), Jayden Brits (Stormers).
Flyhalves: Yaqeen Ahmed (Stormers), Vusi Moyo (Sharks).
Centres: Ethan Adams (Lions), Samuel Badenhorst (Stormers), Markus Muller (Stormers), Olunje Mehlomakulu (Stormers).
Outside backs: Khuthadzo Rasivhaga (Sharks), Lindsey Jansen (Bulls), Jack Benade (Stormers), *Jade Muller (Cheetahs), *Akahluwa Boqwana (Bulls), Alzeadon Felix (Sharks), *Cheswill Jooste (Bulls), *Zekhethelo Siyaya (Sharks).
Players marked with an asterisk are on standby.
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