Junior Springboks head coach Bafana Nhleko named five uncapped players in his starting team to face Italy in Paarl on Thursday in their second Pool C match of the 2023 World Rugby U20 Championship.
There were good moments and some not so good moments for the Junior Springboks in their 33-23 win over Georgia on Saturday, but for head coach Bafana Nhleko, the victory was always non-negotiable and he was relieved that the team started their World Rugby Under-20 Championship on that positive note.
After two months of preparing in Stellenbosch, the Junior Springboks walked into a vibrant Southern Sun Newlands on Tuesday afternoon, with staff welcoming them with song and dance as the players checked into the team hotel, their home for the forthcoming World Rugby U20 Championship.
Paul de Villiers and Katlego Letebele will return for their second stint with the Junior Springboks, this time as captain and vice-captain of the South African squad to the World Rugby Under-20 Championship, which will kick off in Cape Town, Paarl and Stellenbosch later this month.
A group of 41 players will attend this year’s SA Rugby Academy programme, which will also kick-start the Junior Springboks’ preparations for the World Rugby Under-20 Championship in South Africa later this year.
The Junior Springboks left their best performance for last as they outplayed Wales in the Six Nations U20 Summer Series final in Treviso on Tuesday night.
The national junior rugby programme will resume after Easter with the intake of 36 promising players who will attend the SA Rugby Academy, based in Stellenbosch.
The 2022 edition of the World Rugby U20 Championship is in doubt as World Rugby considers regional alternatives similar to last year’s U20 International Series hosted in Stellenbosch.
The Junior Springboks hammered hosts Argentina 41-16 to finish third overall at the U20 Championship in Rosario on Saturday. DYLAN JACK reports. (more…)
Junior Springboks coach Chean Roux says his team benefited from playing Scotland, Wales and England on their recent tour. DYLAN JACK reports. (more…)