The Junior Springboks were welcomed back to South Africa on Monday by cheering fans and Mr Mark Alexander, president of the South African Rugby Union, after winning the World Rugby U20 Championships in Italy.
Junior Springbok head coach Kevin Foote credited his team’s renowned, trademark South African grit and fighting spirit for their victory over New Zealand in the World Rugby U20 Championship final in Italy.
The Junior Springboks became the third South African team to claim world champion status by outplaying New Zealand 23-15 in the World Rugby U20 Championship Final in Rovigo on Saturday night.
The Junior Springboks have called up utility back Alzeadon Felix as an injury replacement for Siya Ndlozi as they set their sights on their final pool match in the World Rugby U20 Championship on Wednesday afternoon against Scotland.
The Junior Springboks fell short in their bid to capture the Under-20 Rugby Championship when they lost to New Zealand in Gqeberha, but SA U20 head coach Kevin Foote said the players can take huge positives from their courageous effort against the young Kiwis.
Former SA U18 lock and national age-group cricketer Riley Norton will captain the Junior Springboks against Argentina in the opening round of the Rugby Championship U20 at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha on Thursday.
The Junior Springbok season will kick off in all earnest with the invitation of a big group of players to the first SA Rugby Under-20 Academy camp, which will be held at the Stellenbosch Academy of Sport from 26 January to 16 February.
Wandile Mlaba, who was called up to the Junior Springbok squad earlier this week, is set to make his SA U20 debut off the bench in Friday’s final encounter of the World Rugby U20 Championship against Wales in Cape Town.
The Junior Springbok team to face England on Tuesday at the Athlone Stadium in Cape Town in a vital Pool C match of the World Rugby Under-20 Championship, show several changes from the line-up that faced Argentina.
Junior Springbok coach Bafana Nhleko has tweaked the starting fifteen for Thursday’s World Rugby U20 Championship encounter with Argentina in Stellenbosch by making five changes to the run-on side that started in the win over Fiji.