
‘Greatest day of my life': Junior Boks captain Norton lifts U20 Champs trophy
Junior Springbok captain Riley Norton poses with the World Rugby U20 Championship trophy after his team defeated the Junior All Blacks in the final in Rovigo, Italy on Saturday night. Picture:Rising sports star Riley Norton celebrated the 'greatest day of his life' after the Junior Springboks defeated fierce rivals, the Junior All Blacks, 23-15 in the World Rugby U20 Championship final in Rovigo, Italy on Saturday night.
The Junior Boks completed an unbeaten championship run, after they powered their way through the pool stage and semifinal, setting up a classic against their biggest rivals New Zealand, and duly dispatched them to become just the second South African team to win the junior title.
They emulate the class of 2012, who featured players such as Pieter-Steph du Toit, Handre Pollard and Steven Kitshoff, who all went on to become double World Cup winners with the Springboks, and some of these young up and coming talents will have dreams of doing the same.
Dual star
For Norton, who is a dual sports star, it was extra special as he was able to wash away the disappointment of losing in the semifinals of the 2024 U19 Cricket World Cup, with him able to lift the prestigious U20 title as the captain of the Junior Boks just over a year later.
After the match Norton praised the entire SA U20 group that took part in Italy, and also gave props to the Junior All Blacks for contributing to a great final.
'I am quite emotional. I am just so proud, because the amount of work we put in after not a great TRC (U20 Rugby Championship in SA), our backs were against the wall, and we just came out and gave it everything,' said Norton.
'The group is unbelievable. The players, management and coaches, we all pulled in to a common idea, and it wasn't easy at times. But this is the greatest day of my life and I am so proud of everyone.
'Also hats off to New Zealand, they are an unbelievable team. We have the highest respect for them and they never go away. So to play a final against them was extremely special and something we will cherish for a very long time.'
Asked about the match, Norton said their plan was to dominate physically, and that is exactly what they did, especially on defence which came to the fore as they defended their line brilliantly on a number of occasions, while they also score two tries to lift their incredible tournament tally to 35 in five games.
Show up physically
'We just said we have to show up physically. That's our DNA, that's where South Africans get their energy and their passion from. At the set piece, the mauls, the scrums, just the hits (tackles). I think the guys did that for 80 minutes,' explained Norton.
'We never backed down and I think that's where we get our DNA from. And of course Simphiwe Moyo (flyhalf), with an unbelievable boot, always putting us on the front foot and kicking those penalties. He's amazing and will still be here next year.
'So I am so proud of the guys, I actually have no words. It's been an extremely special couple of weeks in Italy, and I am struggling to put it into words.'
Although expectation were high after their dominant run to the final saw them head into the game as slight favourites, Norton claimed the team never felt any pressure.
'We never felt pressure. Of course there were a few nerves which was expected, but that's a good thing. Thanks to the amount of support we received from South Africa, getting videos from all our mates, people sending us messages and just backing us,' said Norton.
'It was just unbelievable, and I am so proud to be South African. We couldn't have done it without our fans back home cheering us on every step of the way. I think the sport culture in South Africa is so special and without it we wouldn't be in this situation.
'To everyone back home, we appreciate you guys so much, we couldn't have done this without you and we can't wait to bring the trophy home to all of you guys.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Citizen
22 minutes ago
- The Citizen
England hero Kelly overcomes 'dark moments' on way to Euro glory
England penalty hero Chloe Kelly said Sunday she had been unable to hold back the tears after finishing a roller-coaster... England's Chloe Kelly celebrates after scoring the winning penalty in the shootout against Spain on Sunday. Picture: Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP England penalty hero Chloe Kelly said Sunday she had been unable to hold back the tears after finishing a roller-coaster year in her career by scoring the spot-kick that allowed the Lionesses to beat Spain in the Women's Euro 2025 final. ALSO READ: Sub sinks Morocco as Nigeria are crowned African football queens The 27-year-old's penalty sealed a 3-1 shoot-out victory for England against Spain after the match in Basel had finished 1-1 at the end of extra time. England's Kelly's key impact She had earlier come off the bench late in the first half in place of the injured Lauren James with England trailing 1-0, and crossed for Alessia Russo to head in her team's equaliser. 'I just came on the pitch and wanted to make something happen,' said Kelly, who has made a habit of being a super-sub during the tournament. The Arsenal player came on as a substitute against Sweden and helped England recover from 2-0 down in a quarter-final they eventually won on penalties — Kelly scored in that shoot-out too. Then she scored the winner late in extra time in the semi-final against Italy, following in to net after her penalty had been saved. 'I know Alessia's strengths and I just tried to put the ball on her head, and then taking the penalty,' Kelly said. 'I actually missed three penalties in training yesterday but I think it's the belief in this squad, all 23 players and the people that you don't see behind the scenes, the staff members, to get us through this tournament. 'I am proud to be part of an amazing group of girls.' It is a familiar feeling for Kelly, who scored the extra-time winner when England beat Germany 2-1 in the Euro 2022 final in front of over 87,000 fans at Wembley. In between she was unable to change the game from the bench in the 2023 World Cup final, which England lost 1-0 to Spain in Sydney. 'Tough times don't last' Just a few months ago it seemed Kelly might not even make Sarina Wiegman's squad for the tournament in Switzerland, given her situation at club level. In January she asked to leave Manchester City, where she had been used sparingly in the first months of the season. Kelly wrote on social media that people at City had been trying to 'assassinate my character' and said her mental wellbeing had been affected. She then joined Arsenal on loan until the end of the campaign, and went on to play for them as they beat Barcelona in the Champions League final in May. 'There were a lot of tears at full-time especially when I saw my family because those are the people who got me through those dark moments,' Kelly said on Sunday. 'I am so grateful to be out of it but if that is a story to tell someone who maybe experiences something the same, then tough times don't last,' she added. 'Just around the corner was a Champions League final — I won that, and now a Euros final I have won that, so thank you to everyone who wrote me off. I am grateful.' Kelly recently signed permanently for Arsenal, where she also played earlier in her career, and will return to North London as a European champion at club and international level. 'Every player has their own story, and I think every story is incredible on its own, but her story is unbelievable,' said England coach Sarina Wiegman. 'I am so happy for her too. She has been fighting to come back to her highest level. ALSO READ: No complaints from Ellis in Banyana defeat 'She loved this moment, she just really wanted to take the penalty — to be able to score that penalty under that pressure is very impressive too.'


The South African
3 hours ago
- The South African
England to 'copy' Springboks' 7-1 bomb squad
The concept of the 'bomb squad' first came into the rugby conversation when the Springboks utilised a 6-2 forwards-to-backs split on the bench during the 2019 World Cup, while this was elevated even further in recent times when Rassie Erasmus occasionally opted for a 7-1 substitutes set up. Although there have been some critics of this tactic – mainly from overseas pundits – there have been a number of other clubs and countries who have begun to experiment with a bench that is also packed with forwards, coupled with versatile backs. Now, according to The Telegraph , England are planning to also try out a 7-1 split as coach Steve Borthwick apparently wants to be able to include as many back-rowers as possible in his match-day squad considering this is an area where they have plenty of depth. In aiming for maximum flexibility, it's also reported that Borthwick is training props to deputise at hooker, while also prioritising some players who have the ability to cover more than one position. It all sounds a bit familiar, doesn't it? As part of recent World Rugby workshops looking at law changes, it was stated that the governing body was looking at the role of the replacements. In what will come as a huge relief to the Springboks and their fans, World Rugby's chief executive, Alan Gilpin, told The Guardian that there are no medical grounds to outlaw this bench configuration. 'We looked at it from a science, medicine perspective. Was there a distinctive view that a bunch of fresh players coming on with 20‑30 minutes to go is going to create a more injurious position, and the science said that's not the case. 'So there was no reason from that perspective to look at how we might do replacements differently. Ultimately, there are a lot of different ways to win a rugby match.' Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.

IOL News
3 hours ago
- IOL News
Will Fawaaz Basadien's signing strengthen Mamelodi Sundowns after a similar signing failed?
Fawaaz Basadien's arrival at Mamelodi Sundowns creates a competitive landscape at left-back, challenging him to prove his worth amidst a talented squad and potentially impacting national team selections. Photo: Backpagepix Image: Backpagepix The reasons might be slightly the same, but the outcomes could be totally different should Fawaaz Basadien show mental strength and duly fight for his position. When Mamelodi Sundowns signed Terrence Mashego from Cape Town City in 2022, then coach Rulani Mokwena made a bold reason behind the signing. He said: 'When that type of talent is available in the market, you've got to go for it before it goes on to strengthen a rival and make them stronger.' Mokwena was candid more than anything, especially given the fact that the clubs had depth at left-back and enough cover for Bafana Bafana international Aubrey Modiba. And so, after the club announced the signing of Basadien on Saturday, it seemed Sundowns' intentions couldn't be nearer to Mokwena's explanation. The Brazilians still have Modiba, Mashego, Sifiso Ngobeni and Divine Lunga for the left-back position at their disposal. So did they really need Basadien? Well, that remains to be seen. What is known is that Basadien brings depth to Sundowns as he has proven himself at Stellenbosch over the years. Last season, Basadien might have stood out for his set-piece taking technique and scoring abilities, having scored that screamer in the iKapa derby, but he's a fully-fledged product. Basadien aces his primary duties - defending - to the tee, and has evolved in moving high up as he joins in on build-ups, something that can be affirmed with his goals from open play. So, given that Sundowns are a ball-playing team, still playing within the ethos of 'shoeshine and piano', he should be able to fit into the teams' system like a glove. The slight problem is that his qualities are similar to those of Modiba's - something that will give coach Miguel Cardoso either a nice headache, sleepless nights or both. Having identical players means that Cardoso will have a direct replacement in case of eventualities, but in the same breath he can't play them together at once. This two-edged sword does not only apply to Cardoso, but Bafana coach Hugo Broos as well. The sleepless night might even need tablets for Broos especially if another left-back player from another club is on form than the benched one at Sundowns. Broos has always been open about the value of Sundowns players as their continental experience augurs well for the national teams. But in the same breath, the Belgian has always stressed about the number of players that Sundowns sign season in and season out as that deters progress. And so, leading up to the World Cup qualifiers, and the Africa Cup of Nations in December, he might grow more grey hair just from calling up players for the left-back position. Should Basadien or Modiba be dropped at Sundowns that will change Broos' plans as they were regulars last season for their respective clubs, taking the feisty, healthy competition to Bafana. Yes, competition between the two players will help them get the best out of one another at club level, but the issue of them playing together remains a tough puzzle to solve. There's the modern approach of players being fluid, and able to play in a host of positions, but I am sure neither of them will want to hop from one position to another ahead of AFCON. By the time the teams leave the South African shores, they'll both want to fly out knowing that they are the first choice at left-back. Over the years, Modiba has been both Sundowns and Bafana's preferred left-back. So, perhaps the arrival of Basadien will keep him on his toes. Basadien's mental strength, despite reuniting with homeboys Iqraam Rayners and Jayden Adams, and Bafana teammates, will be tested at Sundowns this season. But unlike Mashego who's failed to stamp his authority at the club and is reportedly set to be released, Basadien has the qualities of fighting for a starting berth and quickly adapting. After all, he knows the ins and outs of Gauteng, having played for Moroka Swallows three seasons ago. Hence, he'll unlikely make the statistic of being one of the Western Cape born players who struggled in Gauteng.