Junior Boks stars given breather after Gqeberha title triumph

Players who starred in the Junior Springboks’ triumph at the U-20 Rugby Championship tournament in Gqeberha have been given an extra week’s rest before an international series against Chile, Fiji and Georgia in Cape Town from May 21 to 31.

Junior Boks head coach, Kevin Foote, said the selected group reflects their focus on immediate performance and long-term player development, as the national U-20s continue to build depth and manage player workloads before the 2026 Junior World Championship.

Looking ahead to the fixtures, Foote said the coaching staff would use the opportunity to rotate the squad and assess depth in key positions.

Junior Boks regulars Luan Giliomee, Christian Vorster, Jordan Steenkamp, and Pieter van der Merwe are back in the group after they missed the recent U20 Rugby Championship due to injury.

The first batch of the squad will assemble on Monday at their Stellenbosch Academy of Sports base, while players who carried a heavy workload in Gqeberha recently will be given an extra week of rest.

The squad features players who attended the previous two Junior Bok training camps, the short tour to Georgia and the U20 Rugby Championship, won by SA, while Quintin Potgieter (loose forward) is a new addition.

Being put through the meat grinder during an unrelenting dogfight against New Zealand will stand the Junior Boks in good stead when they defend their World Cup title in June and July, says SA coach Kevin Foote. Anxious SA fans in the 18,138 crowd were on the edge of their seats during a cliffhanger contest before the Baby Boks emerged with a nail-biting 29-29 draw against New Zealand at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday. In the final stages momentum shifted between the sides as they fought tenaciously for victory in a high-intensity, pressure-cooker environment. Foote and his team have now turned their attention to defending their U20 World Rugby Junior World Championship in Georgia from June 27 to July 18. “New Zealand are a very good team and they are going to be well prepared at the World Cup,” he said. “It would have been nice to end the tournament with a win after we beat Argentina and Australia in the opening rounds. “It is always a huge honour to play against New Zealand, especially for South Africans. There is a lot of history and tradition between us so it is always going to be a fight when we play one another. “Last year in Gqeberha we lost to them by three points and this year we drew. “I thought the Junior Boks were really good in the scrums. SA pride ourselves on our physicality and we did that again and we were physical at the breakdown. “I thought our set piece was good and so was New Zealand’s. They took some quick lineouts and that caught us off guard a bit.” We had a lot of guys here who are in their first year out of school. So 11 guys will still be around next year for the Junior Boks Foote said the tremendous depth of talent in SA will be vital at the World Cup. “SA are so lucky to have the talent and depth we have, and that will be important going into the World Cup,” he said. “The guys who played in Gqeberha put their hands up and made a massive effort. “We had a lot of guys here who are in their first year out of school. So 11 guys will still be around next year for the Junior Boks.” Baby Bok skipper Riley Norton said there are areas of his team’s game that need to be worked on ahead of the World Cup. “New Zealand did well at the end and stayed in the fight and I think there were some simple errors from us that we need to learn from,” he said. “You can never think you are in complete control because things can swing. We understand that and we also have to keep the ball. If we can keep the ball, we are an awesome team and we have a dangerous attack. “The Junior Boks have guys who can create chances by themselves. We need to learn to take care of the breakdown and we need to build continuous phases. That’s where can be really successful.” The Rugby Championship provided the Junior Boks with an opportunity to play against top-class teams, Norton said. “There are lessons we must learn and that is why we have tournaments like this against top opposition. “There was a combination of things [at the breakdown] and New Zealand were good on the ball. Sometimes the aggressive, long clean that we have — and also the fight on the ground — needs to be better and that is up to the ball carrier. We will go back and look at the clips. “I must say, New Zealand had some good guys over the ball. We have to find ways to stop people trying to slow down our momentum.” Follow The Herald WhatsApp channel today and stay connected to the stories shaping our world. The Herald

“We are looking to freshen up the squad, give players opportunities in certain positions and allow them to put their hands up for Junior World Championship selection,” Foote said.

“It is an important balance between managing the group in the present and continuing to build for the future.”

The SA U20 coach said the squad has been selected with the immediate and longer-term in mind, with the Junior Boks intent on maintaining their growth and cohesion, remaining competitive, and broadening the player base with this year’s JWC and the 2027 cycle in mind.

“This tournament will provide valuable game time for players who may not have featured regularly during the recent U20 Rugby Championship, while also creating opportunities for younger squad members to continue their development within the Junior Bok environment,” Foote said.

The three-match series also provides an opportunity to manage the workload of several established players while integrating the return of several others who did not play a part in the U20 Rugby Championship because of injury or their involvement in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship.

Though it was a bittersweet moment for the Junior Boks to lift the U-20 Rugby Championship trophy after being held to a 29-29 draw by arch-rivals New Zealand, valuable lessons were learnt before the World Cup, SA skipper Riley Norton said. After being crowned world champions in 2025, the Baby Boks added another title to their growing list of achievements in front of 18,138 delighted supporters at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday. The Boks clinched the title in the 42nd minute when hard-running centre Samuel Badenhorst scored his team’s fourth try. It was a try that earned the Baby Boks the vital bonus point they required to give themselves an unassailable lead at the top of the log. New Zealand then launched a ferocious assault on the Bok line and were rewarded with a penalty try which left the teams tied at 29-29 in the 76th minute. Norton and his team have now switched their focus on the U-20 World Rugby Junior World Championship in Georgia from June 27 to July 18. “This draw was a bit bittersweet, but I told the guys they can be unbelievably proud of how they represented themselves and the Junior Bok jersey,” Norton said. “I think we have left this competition in a better place than we did last year. “We will now work towards the World Cup. “I think this draw will teach us a lot more than if we had just won. “This [a draw] is the best thing we could have had as we head into our next camp. “It is time to work even harder now before the World Cup, and we want to make South Africa proud. “Last year was disappointing to be at home representing South Africa in Gqeberha and not raising the trophy. “I think a lot of people were annoyed with that. “It was a process because coach Kevin Foote and I were new and there were a lot of things that were new. “We just needed to find ourselves and build connections. Now we can fast forward to this.” Norton said the time the squad had spent in Gqeberha had been enjoyable, and they were grateful for all the support. “The amount of support was unbelievable here in Gqeberha,” he said. “When you come in the bus to the stadium, we can see everyone is behind us. “This is not the end of the road for us, and we still have two and a half more months until the end of the World Cup. “So the Junior Boks will celebrate this win and be happy. “I think we have played some unbelievable rugby in the past three games against New Zealand, Australia and Argentina.” Coach Foote said breakdown efficiency and ball security were areas where his team could have been better against the Baby Blacks. “We probably turned over the ball too easily at times, and that’s something we’ll definitely work on,” he said. “Against a team like New Zealand, you get punished if you’re not clinical. “We’ve won the tournament, we’ve tested our depth, and we’ve learnt a lot about ourselves. “This experience will serve us well in the future.” “To have more than 40,000 people through the turnstiles across the three rounds at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium is simply incredible. “From the moment we arrived, Gqeberha made us feel at home. “The energy in the stadium was incredible, and that support — right up until the final whistle of today’s [Saturday] game — was a massive factor for the boys. “We are deeply grateful to every fan who came out to back us, and they were truly fantastic.” Scorers: South Africa 29: Tries: Akahluwa Boqwana (2), Rambo Kubheka, Samuel Badenhorst. Conversions: Yaqeen Ahmed (3). Penalty: Yaqeen Ahmed. New Zealand 29: Tries: Dane Johnston, Oliver Guerin, Caleb Woodley, Finn McLeod, penalty try. Conversion: Mika Muliaina. In the opening match of the day, Australia registered their first win of the tournament when they beat Argentina 32-30 after an exciting finish. Australia 32: Tries: Edwin Langi (2), Leo Jaques, Tom Robinson, Ewald Kruger. Conversions: Jonty Fowler (2). Penalty Jonty Fowler. Argentina 30: Tries: Manuel Camargo, Benjamín Ledesma (2), Fabrizio Cebron. Conversions: Federico Serpa (2). Penalties: Federico Serpa (2). Follow The Herald WhatsApp channel today and stay connected to the stories shaping our world. The Herald

Regular captain Riley Norton (lock) and Zekhethelo Siyaya (utility back), who were recently included in the Springbok alignment camp squad, are unavailable for the first two matches.

Midfielder Markus Muller, who recently made his Stormers debut, and Bulls wing Cheswill Jooste were not considered due to injuries.

Junior Boks squad to assemble in Stellenbosch on Monday:

Forwards: Jordan Jooste (Stormers), Kai Pratt (Sharks), Mahle Sithole (Lions), Altus Rabe (Stormers), Luan van der Berg (Bulls), Bongani Dlamini (Bulls), Jaythen Orange (Lions), JD Hattingh (Lions), Thomas Beling (Bulls), Risima Khosa (Lions), Quintin Potgieter (Stormers), Vuyo Gwiji (Lions), Gert Kemp (Stormers).

Backs: Jayden Brits (Stormers), Jandrian Goosen (Bulls), Vusi Moyo (Sharks), Luan Giliomee (Sharks), Jordan Steenkamp (Stormers), Lindsey Jansen (Sharks), Pieter van der Merwe (Bulls), Olunje Mehlomakulu (Stormers), Christian Vorster (Bulls), Jade Muller (CUT), Junaide Stuart (Bulls), Akahluwa Boqwana (Bulls), Alzeadon Felix (Lions).

Squad members to assemble in Stellenbosch on May 25:

Forwards: Oliver Reid (Stormers), Rambo Kubheka (Sharks), Liam van Wyk (Sharks), Danie Kruger (Stormers), Heinrich Theron (Bulls), Riley Norton (Stormers), Kebotile Maake (Bulls), Luke Cannon (Lions), Wasi Vyambwera (Sharks).

Backs: Hendré Schoeman (Bulls), Yaqeen Ahmed (Stormers), Khuthadzo Rasivhaga (Sharks), Ethan Adams (Lions), Samuel Badenhorst (Stormers), Jack Benade (Stormers), Zekhethelo Siyaya (Sharks).

U20 International Series fixtures:

May 21: Georgia vs Fiji, South Africa vs Chile

May 26: Chile vs Georgia, South Africa vs Fiji

May 31: Fiji vs Chile, South Africa vs Georgia

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