Latest news with #JuniorBoks'
The Citizen
12-05-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Junior Boks aim to gain from U20 Rugby Championship pain
Head coach Kevin Foote and skipper Riley Norton say the Junior Springboks can take key lessons from a tough home tournament for the U20 World Championship next month. The South Africans fell short in their bid to capture The U20 Rugby Championship in the republic when they lost 48-45 to New Zealand at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha yesterday. The hosts beat Argentina in fine style their opener, before going down to Australia and New Zealand. But Foote said the players can take huge positives from their courageous effort against the young Kiwis. 'There are a lot of positives to take from that performance; we are on a massive journey together and I've only met Riley Norton and the guys back in November, so we are definitely working hard on our game model and principles which everyone understands now,' he told reporters post-match. 'From a character and leadership perspective, we are in a good place, and the lessons we learnt will be of huge benefit as we approach the U20 Championship next month in Italy. 'I think Melusi (Mthethwa, the team's backline coach) has done a great job in terms of our attack and I really feel that the players have clarity on how we want to play,' Foote added. 'We played some exciting and brilliant attacking rugby during the tournament and just to hear the crowd get behind us when we started to light it up was exceptional. 'We know we are not the finished product, and we know we have a lot of work to do, but I do think our attack has come a long way and the guys are loving the way we are attacking.' Foote said the SA U20 coaching staff are keen to send some players back to their provincial unions to play in the SA Rugby U21 Cup competition: 'We will take it case by case, but some players will go back to their provinces to play in the U21 competition. 'It's a strong competition and the players are well-coached there, and we are keen for them to keep going. There will be some whose load we will have to manage, but we will do our medicals and take it case by case.' Norton, who started all three of the Junior Boks' games of the competition, praised the players' efforts, on and off the field. 'To have played these high-pressure games against such quality opposition before the World Champs is going to be vital for us,' he said. 'The lessons we learnt, the connections and relationships we have managed to build, not only on the field but off-field as well, and the trust we managed to create, are extremely important to us.' The post Junior Boks aim to gain from U20 Champs pain appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
The South African
04-05-2025
- Sport
- The South African
Siya Kolisi shares inspirational words with Junior Springboks
Springbok captain Siya Kolisi shared some inspiring words with the future stars of South African rugby when he visited the Junior Springboks at their training session on the B-field of the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha. The Junior Boks returned to the training field on Saturday following their victory over Argentina in the opening round of the Under-20 Rugby Championship held in Gqeberha. Siya Kolisi, who hails from the Eastern Cape, is visiting his hometown and made a surprise appearance at the Junior Boks' field session. 'It's amazing to see the boys and good to be in Gqeberha, where people are so hungry for rugby and to see our boys play,' said Kolisi. 'I can see they and the coaches are working hard, they have a great culture and I can see the future of our rugby is in good hands.' Kolisi was quite amazed at the size of some of the players: 'The size of these boys, it's ridiculous compared to me,' he quipped. When asked what he said to them, Kolisi replied: 'I just wished them luck and told them that, at this young age, it's a huge privilege. They represent all of us in South Africa right now; this is their opportunity, and they must use it well. They are representing not just some people, but the whole of the country. 'They must enjoy the moment because the opportunity can be taken away just like that. I also told them to dream bigger than what is happening on the field – this is not the end for them, they want to kick on to the highest level.' After nearly 9 000 people attended the Junior Boks' opening game on Thursday, Kolisi also had a special message for the rugby supporters in the Eastern Cape city, where the Boks will face Italy in July. 'I know I don't have to urge the rugby supporters in Gqeberha to come and support the tournament and our boys,' said the Springbok captain. 'I know they are going to attend because this province is hungry for rugby and big events. That's why every time we come here it's always full and the people come to welcome us at the airport. 'I want to say thanks in advance to the people in Gqeberha for coming out to support the boys and filling out the stadium – you can see this province can host big events and hopefully more will come after this.' Junior Springbok captain Riley Norton said he and his team-mates were extremely excited to see the two-time Rugby World Cup winning captain take time out of his busy schedule to come and attend their morning training session. 'Seeing Siya watch the training session and then his engagement with the squad and staff afterwards was a very special moment,' said Norton. 'He is our hero and we are grateful for the inspiring words he shared with us and we thoroughly enjoyed the special occasion.' Tickets for all matches cost R20 and can be bought online at Webtickets or at the ticket office of the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. The second round of action takes place on Tuesday, 6 May, when New Zealand take on Argentina (14:00) and South Africa face Australia (16:10). Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
