Yaqeen Ahmed has been selected as part of the Junior Boks squad for the U20 Rugby Championship. (Photo: Modern Athlete) South African rugby enjoyed a stellar 2025 season, with the Springboks defending their Rugby Championship title and the Junior Boks winning the Junior World Championship for the first time since 2012. The Springbok Women made history when they qualified for the World Cup playoffs for the first time at the showpiece event staged in England last year.
More recently, the Blitzboks claimed an inaugural tournament win in Hong Kong to strengthen their position at the top of the SVNS Series standings, with two events remaining.
The country’s national teams have never been stronger and the South African Rugby Union (Saru) continues to implement structures and initiatives aimed at extending this golden era for many years to come.
The focus will shift to the Junior Boks over the next two weeks as they try to win the U20 Rugby Championship for the first time.
The Gqeberha-based tournament kicks off on Monday, 27 April, with New Zealand playing Australia before South Africa battles Argentina later in the day. The hosts then face Australia on 3 May before tackling New Zealand six days later in a fixture that may amount to a title decider.
Beyond the Sanzaar tournament, South Africa will set their sights on the World Rugby Junior World Championship in Georgia between 27 June and 18 July.
If all goes to plan, Kevin Foote’s side could make history by becoming the first Junior Bok team to win back-to-back world titles – emulating the feats of Rassie Erasmus’s senior squad in 2019 and 2023.
/file/attachments/2987/2246127777_301083_4f1b82c420c4bb405912533cd699f7e3_1_664375_581415.jpg "Rassie Erasmus, the South Africa head coach, looks on during the Autumn Nations Series 2025 match between France and South Africa at the Stade de France. (Photo: David Rogers / Getty Images)")
There is a new vibe and energy around this age-group side and a concrete reason for optimism. Their performances at the 2025 global tournament were hailed as a high-water mark for age-group rugby, and Foote and Saru have continued to build in order to strengthen the squad ahead of the 2026 season.
There’s good reason to believe that a fresh squad, which will be bolstered by returnees such as captain Riley Norton (lock), Oliver Reid (prop) and possibly Cheswill Jooste (wing) and Esethu Mnebelele (hooker), will take things forward over the next few months.
Exposure to senior structures
Followers of schoolboy rugby will recognise some of the big names that have been selected for the Junior Boks squad for the U20 Championship.
Flyhalf Yaqeen Ahmed and utility back Alzeadon Felix starred for Wynberg and Grey College, respectively, in 2024 and were backed to represent their provinces at the U18 Craven Week as well as SA Schools.
Several others who lit up the school scene in 2025 should feature prominently for the Junior Boks in the coming matches. Ethan Adams (Grey College) and Markus Muller (Paul Roos) had the chance to develop what may become a monumental midfield partnership on the tour to Georgia this past February. South Africa beat the hosts 35-0 and 35-5 in those matches.
Meanwhile, loosehead prop Kai Pratt (Oakdale) was invited to the recent Springbok alignment camp in Cape Town, along with Norton, Mnebelele and Muller.
The relationship between the senior and junior national teams has strengthened in recent seasons, and several other members of the world title-winning squad – Haashim Pead, Batho Hlekani and Jooste – were exposed to the Bok culture and systems at various training sessions last year.
Mnebelele toured Wales with the senior team last November and, according to Erasmus, would have won his first Test cap in Cardiff if not for an injury. The hooker is set to miss the upcoming U20 tournament because of an ankle ailment, but may be back for the showpiece in June.
Utility back Luan Giliomee, who has already played for the Blitzboks and the Sharks’ senior side, is another young gun who remains in the team’s long-term plans in spite of his current injury status.
Looking at the squad as a whole, it’s interesting to note how many of these youngsters have already had a taste of professional rugby.
The promising fullback Zekhethelo Siyaya made his United Rugby Championship debut for the Sharks against the Ospreys in Bridgend on 18 April – just a few months after completing his matric.
Reid packed down in the front row for the Stormers earlier this season, and Jooste has dazzled in the wider channels for the Bulls in recent fixtures – and as a result, may be retained by the franchise in the coming weeks.
Norton, Mnebelele, Vusi Moyo (flyhalf), Rambo Kubheka (prop), Liam van Wyk, Khuthadzo Rasivhaga (wing) and Akahlulwa Boqwana all featured in the recent Currie Cup for their provinces, and Muller received game time for the Stormers XXIII side in the national U23 tournament.
Felix and Jack Benade represented the University of Johannesburg and the University of Cape Town, respectively, in the Varsity Cup.
Local coaches have gone out of their way to back younger players in recent months. These rough diamonds won’t be polished overnight, but the development process is clearly under way and it’s encouraging to think about how this might benefit the players, franchises and even the senior national side in the long term.
Opportunity knocks
The Junior Boks would do well to remember what transpired in last year’s edition of the U20 Rugby Championship. Norton’s charges beat Argentina 36-25 before losing 29-24 to Australia and 48-45 to eventual winners New Zealand. The Baby Blacks also won the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2024.
The subsequent appointment of Foote as head coach prompted a significant turnaround.
The Junior Boks thrashed Australia 73-17 at the World Rugby Junior World Championship in Italy. After hammering Argentina 48-24 in the semifinal, they outplayed New Zealand in the decider to emerge with a 23-15 victory. Counting the recent tour results against Georgia, the Junior Boks have won seven international matches in succession.
The U20 Rugby Championship presents a different sort of challenge in that three rounds of matches will be staged at one venue over 13 days.
Foote will need to manage the group carefully to ensure that the team wins the first two matches against Argentina and Australia while remaining relatively fresh for the later showdown against New Zealand. Squad rotation will be essential.
“We 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,” Foote said.
“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.”
Junior Springbok squad
Props: Oliver Reid (Stormers), Rambo Kubheka (Sharks), Jordan Jooste (Stormers), Danie Kruger (Stormers), Kai Pratt (Sharks).
Hookers: Liam van Wyk (Sharks), Mahle Sithole (Lions).
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)*.
Note: Players marked with an asterisk are on standby. The squad will be finalised on completion of the weekend’s URC matches and depending on medical reports.
U20 Rugby Championship fixtures
Round one, 27 April
New Zealand vs Australia (2pm)
South Africa vs Argentina (4.10pm)
Round two, 3 May
New Zealand vs Argentina (2pm)
South Africa vs Australia (4.10pm)
Round three, 9 May
Argentina vs Australia (2pm)
South Africa vs New Zealand (4.10pm) DM
Jon Cardinelli is a freelance writer.
This story first appeared in our weekly DM168 newspaper, available countrywide for R35.
/file/attachments/2991/DM-24042026-001_488954.jpg)