Multi-sport talent Riley Norton leads South Africa to glory in World U-20 Rugby Championship after representing Proteas in U-19 Cricket World Cup
This was South Africa's second title, with the first one coming back in 2012.
At the helm of the Junior Sprinboks' campaign was captain Norton, who represented South Africa at the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup last year. Norton played five matches in South Africa's run to the semifinals, where it lost to India.
In that tournament, Norton scored 50 runs with the bat, while also picking 11 wickets with his right-arm medium pace.
Despite his promising cricket career, Norton recently pivoted to focus more on rugby, a sport where he has excelled. Following in the footsteps of his father, Chris Norton, who played for Maties Rugby from 1991 to 2003, Riley joined Maties Rugby this year while pursuing a B. Com Investment Management degree at Stellenbosch University.
His leadership prowess has been particularly evident in the 2025 World Rugby U20 Championship. As captain of the Junior Springboks, Norton guided his team through dominant performances, securing victories against Australia (73-17), defending champion England (32-22), and Scotland (73-14) in the group stage. His team then triumphed over Argentina 48-24 in the semifinal, before beating the Baby Blacks in the summit clash.
'I'm quite emotional, but I'm just so proud,' Norton was quoted as saying by SA Rugby Magazine.
'... We had to show up physically. That's our DNA. That's where we South Africans get our passion and our energy from. The set-phase, the maul, the scrum, the hits – the guys did that for 80 minutes and that's where we get our DNA from. Of course (Vusi) Moyo with his unbelievable boot always putting us on the front foot and kicking those penalties, it's just unbelievable.
'The amount of support we received from South Africa, videos from our mates, people sending us messages and just backing us was just unbelievable. I'm so proud to be South African and we couldn't have done it without our fans back at home cheering us on every step of the way,' he added.
Norton's story is an inspiring testament to elite talent knowing no boundaries, and his future in South African sport looks incredibly bright.
Related Topics
ICC Under-19 World Cup
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
8 hours ago
- The Hindu
IND vs ENG fifth Test: Shardul, Kamboj likely to be benched as India searches for ‘Perfect 11'
The long-winding five-match Test series in England has hit the home stretch but despite securing a memorable draw at Old Trafford, India continue to search for the "perfect" eleven, more specifically the right bowling combination, heading into the finale at The Oval in three days' time. India's preference to bat till number eight at the expense of a specialist bowler has been constantly questioned over the course of the series and more so after Shardul Thakur, playing in place of the injured Nitish Reddy, was used for only 11 overs at Old Trafford. But with India conceding more than 600 runs for the first time since 2014 at Old Trafford, the case for including an out and out wicket-taker like Kuldeep Yadav, who has been warming the bench for the past 40 days, is stronger than ever. After an underwhelming debut, Anshul Kamboj is likely to make way for a fit-again Akash Deep or Prasidh Krishna. Arshdeep Singh, who too has been a passenger like Kuldeep, has also recovered from a hand injury and would be dreaming of a Test debut in what has been a highly competitive and engaging series. Though head coach Gautam Gambhir declared all the fast bowlers fit in his usual combative tone following the draw on Sunday, there is no denying that the pace pack, especially Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, are part of the tiring bunch on either side of the dressing room. Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja, the architects of a famous draw, formed India's top six in the second innings due to Rishabh Pant's injury and showed remarkable grit to bat out more than two sessions to save the game, completing fine hundreds in the process. If that same template is followed at The Oval, Dhruv Jurel will come in to bat number seven and India can play four specialist bowlers by benching Shardul, who anyway has not been getting enough overs. The fourth bowler can be Kuldeep with the pitch expected to aid spinners or an extra fast bowler. By its own admission, the Indian team management has been consciously trying to fit Kuldeep into the playing eleven but the current template of batting till eight has prevented it from doing that. "So Kuldeep, we are trying to find a way for him, but it is just (that we need) more consistent runs from our top six, so that we can bring a guy like Kuldeep in," said India bowling coach Morne Morkel during the fourth Test. "It's finding when he comes in, how we can find balance and how we can get that batting line-up to be a little bit longer and stronger. We've seen in the past that we've lost wickets in clumps. "Kuldeep is world-class and he's bowling really well at the moment, so we're trying our best to find ways for him to get in," added the South African. Recently-retired Test great R. Ashwin can't understand India's obsession of batting till eight for a few extra runs when a strike bowler like Kuldeep can allow them to play with fewer runs. For him, picking Kuldeep in Manchester was a no brainer. Considering the selection calls thus far, it can be said that India have been pretty firm about having a cushion with the bat in the lower-order. That will need to change if Kuldeep has to come into the scheme of things. Bumrah has already played three Tests but with series on the line, he could turn up at The Oval and someone like Mohammed Siraj, the only Indian pacer to have featured in all the games, would be raising his hand up despite the heavy workload. "On these do not know whether you will lose the toss, you will win the toss. You do not know what sort of a start you are going to get. So when you pick a team, I think you will try and pick a balanced team," said India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak recently when asked about playing an extra bowler over an all-rounder. "You cannot go like 'because last game three guys got 100s, we can play a batter less'. "...sometimes we feel that six bowlers are not getting enough bowling. So when you have six options, anyway captain struggles to bowl all six equally. Picking an 11, you will always try and keep that balance of batting and bowling," he reasoned for India's existing selection approach.
News18
9 hours ago
- News18
Shardul, Kamboj likely to be benched as India search for Ideal XI
Manchester, Jul 28 (PTI) The long-winding five-match Test series in England has hit the home stretch but despite securing a memorable draw at Old Trafford, India continue to search for the 'perfect" eleven, more specifically the right bowling combination, heading into the finale at The Oval in three days' time. India's preference to bat till number eight at the expense of a specialist bowler has been constantly questioned over the course of the series and more so after Shardul Thakur, playing in place of the injured Nitish Reddy, was used for only 11 overs at Old Trafford. But with India conceding more than 600 runs for the first time since 2014 at Old Trafford, the case for including an out and out wicket-taker like Kuldeep Yadav, who has been warming the bench for the past 40 days, is stronger than ever. After an underwhelming debut, Anshul Kamboj is likely to make way for a fit-again Akash Deep or Prasidh Krishna. Arshdeep Singh, who too has been a passenger like Kuldeep, has also recovered from a hand injury and would be dreaming of a Test debut in what has been a highly competitive and engaging series. Though head coach Gautam Gambhir declared all the fast bowlers fit in his usual combative tone following the draw on Sunday, there is no denying that the pace pack, especially Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, are part of the tiring bunch on either side of the dressing room. Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja, the architects of a famous draw, formed India's top six in the second innings due to Rishabh Pant's injury and showed remarkable grit to bat out more than two sessions to save the game, completing fine hundreds in the process. If that same template is followed at The Oval, Dhruv Jurel will come in to bat number seven and India can play four specialist bowlers by benching Shardul, who anyway has not been getting enough overs. The fourth bowler can be Kuldeep with the pitch expected to aid spinners or an extra fast bowler. By its own admission, the Indian team management has been consciously trying to fit Kuldeep into the playing eleven but the current template of batting till eight has prevented it from doing that. 'So Kuldeep, we are trying to find a way for him, but it is just (that we need) more consistent runs from our top six, so that we can bring a guy like Kuldeep in," said India bowling coach Morne Morkel during the fourth Test. 'It's finding when he comes in, how we can find balance and how we can get that batting line-up to be a little bit longer and stronger. We've seen in the past that we've lost wickets in clumps. 'Kuldeep is world-class and he's bowling really well at the moment, so we're trying our best to find ways for him to get in," added the South African. Recently-retired Test great R Ashwin can't understand India's obsession of batting till eight for a few extra runs when a strike bowler like Kuldeep can allow them to play with fewer runs. For him, picking Kuldeep in Manchester was a no brainer. Considering the selection calls thus far, it can be said that India have been pretty firm about having a cushion with the bat in the lower-order. That will need to change if Kuldeep has to come into the scheme of things. Bumrah has already played three Tests but with series on the line, he could turn up at The Oval and someone like Mohammed Siraj, the only Indian pacer to have featured in all the games, would be raising his hand up despite the heavy workload. 'On these wickets…You do not know whether you will lose the toss, you will win the toss. You do not know what sort of a start you are going to get. So when you pick a team, I think you will try and pick a balanced team," said India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak recently when asked about playing an extra bowler over an all-rounder. 'You cannot go like 'because last game three guys got 100s, we can play a batter less'. '…sometimes we feel that six bowlers are not getting enough bowling. So when you have six options, anyway captain struggles to bowl all six equally. Picking an 11, you will always try and keep that balance of batting and bowling," he reasoned for India's existing selection approach. PTI BS PM PM PM (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments First Published: July 28, 2025, 14:30 IST News agency-feeds Shardul, Kamboj likely to be benched as India search for Ideal XI Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Hindustan Times
AB de Villiers smashes back-to-back centuries in WCL 2025; hits 46-ball 123 with 8 sixes
AB de Villiers has still got it. The right-handed batter continues to turn back the clock in the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025. On Sunday, the 41-year-old, who is one of the main players for South Africa Champions, registered his second century of the tournament as he played a 123-run knock off 46 balls against Australia Champions at Headingley, Leeds. His innings was studded with 15 fours and eight sixes as he batted at a strike rate of 267.39. This was de Villiers' second century on the bounce as he previously went past the three-figure mark against England Champions. AB de Villiers smashes 126 runs off 46 balls against Australia in the World Championship of Legends 2025 match(Screengrab - Fancode) De Villiers didn't spare any Australian bowler as he smashed Brett Lee, Peter Siddle, Steve OKeefe, John Hastings, Daniel Christian and D Arcy Short to all parts of the ground. He reserved special treatment for Steve OKeefe as he kept hitting him for sixes. The former South Africa captain brought up his ton in the 13th over of the innings, and he completed the milestone off 39 balls. After completing the century, de Villiers removed his helmet as he soaked in the atmosphere. The fans of the South African champions were on their feet to celebrate the special achievement. Also Read: 'Won't be surprised if he enters IPL auction': AB de Villiers, 41, smashes whirlwind 41-ball century AB de Villiers was eventually dismissed by Peter Siddle in the 14th over. The South Africa Champions captain was involved in a 187-run stand with JJ Smuts for the opening wicket. This effort of de Villiers helped South Africa Champions post 241/6 in the allotted twenty overs. Smuts also played a knock of 85 runs to take the wind out of Australia's sails. For Australia, Peter Siddle returned with three wickets at Headingley. This total of 241/6 proved enough for South Africa as the Proteas registered a comprehensive 95-run win after bundling out Australia for 146 inside 17 overs. For South Africa, Aaron Phangiso returned with four wickets while Imran Tahir took three. de Villiers' carnage in the WCL 2025 The right-hander has been in smashing form in the ongoing T20 competition. He had earlier played unbeaten knocks of 61 and 116 against India Champions and England Champions. de Villiers, who made a name for himself for being a 360-degree batter, continues to show that he's still got it. In the game against India, the Proteas great was involved in a spectacle fielding effort which resulted in a phenomenal catch at the boundary ropes. De Villiers played 114 Tests, 228 ODIs and 78 T20Is for South Africa, scoring close to 20,000 runs across three formats of the game. He even led the Proteas to the semi-finals of the 2015 World Cup. He announced his international retirement in 2021, leaving fans worldwide shocked.
