Junior Boks, Baby Blacks set to write another chapter in special rivalry
The Junior Boks qualified for their first world U-20 final since 2014 when they beat Argentina 48-24 in Monday's semifinal in Viadana. The Baby Blacks defeated France 34-26 earlier in the day at the same venue.
South Africa coach Kevin Foote spoke of the significance of the occasion on Saturday, highlighting the rivalry and rugby culture shared by both nations.
'Every child in South Africa and every child in New Zealand who has ever picked up a rugby ball dreams of this occasion,' Foote said after his team's hard-fought victory over Argentina.
'It's a special moment and they [New Zealand] are a special side. A final between these two teams is fantastic for rugby.'
The transition from defence to attack 😮💨
South Africa have one foot in the door of the Grand Final 💪🇿🇦
📺 Stream #WorldRugbyU20s on DStv: https://t.co/0P0NNhnwKw pic.twitter.com/Pn8252ypAe
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) July 14, 2025
Junior Boks captain Riley Norton said the final will provide the 'ultimate test' for his side.
'You don't need any extra motivation for a final such as this,' he said. 'As coach Kevin said, you dream of a match like this — facing the haka on Saturday; the history and tradition of rugby between South Africa and New Zealand is unbelievable.
'We love playing each other and have great respect for one another. It's going to be an 80-minute battle. We're excited for Saturday and I know the guys are up for it.'
Foote emphasised that the Junior Boks remain focused on growth and continuous improvement.
'We'll keep improving and the thing is we've played some awesome rugby in this tournament. I couldn't be prouder of this group.
'I told them in the change room [after the Argentina victory] how proud I am — to be on this journey with them is special. They are absolute warriors and remain humble.'
If you blink, you might miss it 🤏👀
Jaco Williams gets South Africa's third against Argentina 🇿🇦🔥
📺 Stream #WorldRugbyU20s on DStv: https://t.co/0P0NNhnwKw pic.twitter.com/XOSnjeaHdn
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) July 14, 2025
Foote also credited the U-20 Rugby Championship, held in Gqeberha in May, as a crucial part of their preparation for the world champs.
'Some of the northern hemisphere teams have more than 2,000 minutes of game time per calendar year for their younger players.
'We want to get as much high-quality game time as possible with our players. The reality is in the Rugby Championship, we were building towards the World Rugby U-20 Championship, using it to build synergy and combinations and so we're grateful for that tournament.'
The Junior Boks enjoyed a non-training day on Tuesday to recover from their energy-sapping semifinal and resumed preparations on Wednesday at their base in Valpolicella outside Verona.
Saturday's final (8.30pm SA time) marks the first time the two sides meet in a World Rugby U-20 Championship decider since South Africa's memorable 22-16 victory over New Zealand in the sold-out 2012 final at Newlands in Cape Town.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The South African
5 minutes ago
- The South African
BREAKING: Springboks announce squad for Rugby Championship tests vs Australia
The World Champion Springboks have announced a 37-man squad to face the Wallabies over two tests in the Rugby Championship. South Africa faces Australia on Saturday, 16 August at Ellis Park. The sides meet again on Saturday, 23 August at Cape Town Stadium. The Springboks have released their 37-man squad to tackle the Wallabies. Do you see any weaknesses? Coach Rassie Erasmus was effusive in his praise of the Junior Springboks. Three of them will train with the senior side. 'We are tremendously proud of the Junior Springboks for winning the World Rugby U20 Championship, and we were thrilled to see the talent coming through the junior ranks, so we opted to invite three of them to join us to expose them to our structures and the standards required at top international level. 'We believe this camp will benefit them significantly, and we are excited to see how they slot in and train with us. 'Unfortunately, we had to limit the size of the squad to ensure maximum outputs and more individual attention at our training sessions, so although more players could have been invited, we could only select three.' Three SA U20 stars called up to join Springboks Let us know by leaving a comment below or sending a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Also, subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
IOL News
5 minutes ago
- IOL News
Rassie Erasmus involves Junior Bok stars in Springboks' preparations for Wallabies Tests
Junior Springboks star Bathobele Hlekani will get an opportunity to train with the Springboks ahead of the Rugby Championship Tests against Australia. Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has selected a strong 37-man squad for the first two Tests in the Rugby Championship against Australia, featuring 24 World Cup-winners and five players who made their Test debuts during the recent matches against Italy and Georgia. The Bok coach also invited three young guns, who were members of the triumphant Junior Springbok World Rugby U20 Championship squad – Bathobele Hlekani, Cheswill Jooste, and Haashim Pead – to train with the group during their two-week conditioning camp in Johannesburg starting on Sunday 27 July, to orientate them into the Springbok culture. The five players who earned their first Springbok Test caps in July are Ethan Hooker (utility back), Asenathi Ntlabakanye, Boan Venter (both props), Marnus van der Merwe (hooker), and Cobus Wiese (utility forward). Bath prop Thomas du Toit has been granted a compulsory two-week rest as agreed with the Gallagher Premiership, although he is eligible to be called up at any stage should the need arise, while No 8 Jasper Wiese is currently serving a four-week suspension, ruling him out of this squad.
TimesLIVE
35 minutes ago
- TimesLIVE
Erasmus names experience and young blood in Bok squad for Australia Tests
Three players from Junior Boks will train with senior team ahead of Rugby Championship kickoff Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus selected a strong 37-man squad for the first two Tests in the Rugby Championship against Australia, featuring 24 World Cup-winners and five players who made their Test debuts during their successful Incoming Series. The Bok coach also invited three young players who were members of the triumphant Junior Bok World Rugby Under-20 Championship squad — Bathobele Hlekani, Cheswill Jooste, and Haashim Pead — to train with the group during their two-week conditioning camp in Johannesburg starting on Sunday. The five players who earned their first Springbok Test caps in July are utility back Ethan Hooker, props Asenathi Ntlabakanye and Boan Venter, hooker Marnus van der Merwe and utility forward Cobus Wiese. Bath prop Thomas du Toit has been granted a compulsory two-week rest as agreed with the Gallagher Premiership, though he is eligible to be called up at any stage should the need arise. No 8 Jasper Wiese is serving a four-week suspension, ruling him out of this squad. Five tries in three starts 🇿🇦🔥 Has Edwill van der Merwe locked in his spot in The Rugby Championship squad? 🤔💭 #SSRugby — SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) July 22, 2025 A handful of players have been released to their respective franchises to build up game time in the Currie Cup, though a few of them have been placed on standby for the Wallaby Tests. The standby players are centre Lukhanyo Am, who missed the July Tests due to a knee niggle; scrumhalf Faf de Klerk, wing Makazole Mapimpi, lock Salmaan Moerat, No 8 Evan Roos, prop Neethling Fouche and flank Vincent Tshituka. The squad has 20 forwards and 17 backline players. The Springboks face the Wallabies in Johannesburg on August 16 and Cape Town on August 23. 'It's always challenging to reduce the squad, especially given how the expanded group of players put up their hands during the Incoming Series, but we always said we would select a smaller, more manageable squad during the Rugby Championship,' Erasmus said. 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆: Rassie Erasmus has named his squad that will face the Wallabies in the Rugby Championship next month 🇿🇦 Bathobele Hlekani, Cheswill Jooste and Haashim Pead have been invited to train with the group during their two-week conditioning camp in Joburg. #SSRugby — SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) July 23, 2025 'This group includes several experienced players and a few younger guys who grabbed their chances in the last few Tests, so we are pleased with this squad for the first two matches. 'We have informed the players on standby what our plans are and what we expect from them so all of them are ready to step up if needed.' Erasmus elaborated on the composition of the squad. 'We probably have three players who can cover each position, which is important in this competition. 'One of our key pillars as a team is to build squad depth, and there is no better way to see what some of the younger players are capable of than to expose them to some of the top teams in the world.' Erasmus expects a completely different challenge in the Rugby Championship to that against the Barbarians, Italy, and Georgia. 'Australia, New Zealand, and Argentina are all ranked in the top seven in the world and if one considers we won the Rugby Championship for the first time since 2019 last year, it is clear this will be a completely different kettle of fish. 'All three teams have beaten us in the last few years and they play a different style of rugby to the other opposition we have faced thus far, but we are pleased with the foundation we laid in the last few weeks and we know exactly what areas of our game we need to work on.' Erasmus will announce his squad for the two-match tour to New Zealand in September before making the journey Down Under, where they will face their arch-rivals at Eden Park in Auckland on September 6, and the Sky Stadium in Wellington on September 13. The Boks wrap up their campaign with Tests against Argentina in Durban on September 27 and in London on October 4. Springbok squad Forwards: Lood de Jager (Wild Knights), Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz), Jean-Luc du Preez (Bordeaux Begles), Eben Etzebeth (Sharks), Vincent Koch (Sharks), Siya Kolisi (Sharks), Wilco Louw (Bulls), Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears), Bongi Mbonambi (Sharks), Franco Mostert (Honda Heat), Ox Nche (Sharks), Ruan Nortje (Bulls), Asenathi Ntlabakanye (Lions), Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs), RG Snyman (Leinster), Marnus van der Merwe (Scarlets), Marco van Staden (Bulls), Boan Venter (Edinburgh), Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Bulls), Cobus Wiese (Bulls) Backs: Kurt-Lee Arendse (Bulls), Damian de Allende (Wild Knights), André Esterhuizen (Sharks), Aphelele Fassi (Sharks), Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (Stormers), Ethan Hooker (Sharks), Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles), Cheslin Kolbe (Tokyo Sungoliath), Willie le Roux (Bulls), Manie Libbok (Stormers), Canan Moodie (Bulls), Handré Pollard (Bulls), Cobus Reinach (Stormers), Edwill van der Merwe (Sharks), Morne van den Berg (Lions), Grant Williams (Sharks), Damian Willemse (Stormers)
