Latest news with #JuniorSpringboks
IOL News
a day ago
- Sport
- IOL News
Rassie Erasmus praises Junior Springboks after impressive training camp
Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus and captain Siya Kolisi with Junior Boks loose forward Bathobele Hlekani, winger Cheswill Jooste and scrumhalf Haashim Pead who joined the world champions for a conditioning camp in Johannesburg ahead of the Rugby Championship. Image: SA Rugby Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus was impressed by the enthusiasm and willingness of the three Junior Springboks who trained with the national team for the past two weeks in Johannesburg. The world champions wrapped up their conditioning camp on Thursday as they continue to lay the foundation for the Rugby Championship starting next weekend against Australia at Ellis Park. Loose forward Bathobele Hlekani, winger Cheswill Jooste and Haashim Pead experienced a Bok setup for the first time after being invited by Erasmus to train with the Boks after their exploits at the World Rugby U20 Championship, where they won the title for the first time in 13 years. Rassie Erasmus on the three #JuniorBoks that trained with the #Springboks: 'It was impressive to see their enthusiasm and the way they grabbed the opportunity with both hands' 💚💛#ForeverGreenForeverGold — Springboks (@Springboks) August 7, 2025 Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ 'We were very pleased with the way they slotted into the training sessions and used the time to interact with the Springbok players and learn from them, even though we made it clear that there was no pressure on them to grasp all our structures and systems,' Erasmus said after the camp. 'It was rather an opportunity for them to experience how we operate in the team and to expose them to what is required to perform at this level, and they certainly embraced the opportunity. It was good to see how they took the time to understand our structures and how they used this chance to engage with the players on a one-on-one basis. 'They all have bright futures, and we hope the experience they gained and the lessons learned will set them in good standing, as they look to further develop their careers and strive to reach this level in the coming years.' Listen to Felix getting involved 😤🔊 Getting the ball off Bathobele Hlekani is no simple task 😂👇#SSRugby — SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) July 31, 2025 Pead grabbed the eye at the U20 with his explosive performances behind the pack. Jooste impressed with his silky side-stepping and the pace with which he beat multiple defenders. Hlekani's physical presence gave the Baby Boks impetus on the defence and when the forwards carried the ball up into contact. In a clip from the recent Bok camp training, he showed his power by fighting off multiple World Cup winners and his junior colleagues when they tried to take the ball from him in a simulated contact session. Jooste, who played SA U18 last year, described it as an incredible experience. 'It was particularly memorable for me to be inspired and motivated by the players I look up to and who are already where I'd like to be. They didn't only share their knowledge, but also their energy and spirit of unity.'
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The South African
2 days ago
- Sport
- The South African
These two SA U20 stars WILL go to the 2027 RWC [opinion]
One of the grave dangers in rugby is to overhype young stars, and a great example is undoubtedly 2017 U20 Player of the Year Juarno Augustus, who did seem to battle with the weight of expectation placed on his shoulders after excelling for the Junior Springboks. However, there is also no doubt that the Junior Springbok set up is a brilliant stepping stone to senior honours, and it certainly seems as if the current generation of U20 champions have unearthed some brilliant raw gems. Just recently, Bathobele Hlekani, Cheswill Jooste and Haashim Pead all earned the opportunity to train with the Springbok group during their two-week conditioning camp in Johannesburg, clearly having already caught the eye of the national coaches. Others such as supremely talented Junior Springbok captain Riley Norton and goal-kicking supremo Vusi Moyo could just have easily also been called up if there was space to do so. However, when casting an eye to the 2027 World Cup, this is who we believe are on a trajectory to burst into the Springbok team for this title defence. Bathobele Hlekani When speaking to coaches who have worked with Hlekani, there is general consensus that the powerful forward is a generational talent. Standing at 1.93 m tall (6ft 4in) and weighing in at around 115 kg, the Junior Springboks' blindside flank sometimes appeared like a man amongst boys as he truly announced his arrival on the global stage during the recent U20 tournament. Since then, clips have emerged of Hlekani impressing with his strength and power during the time recently spent with the Springboks, where he certainly didn't look out of place. The big man is now 20-years-old and is set to start a new chapter at the Lions, where he should receive regular game-time. Despite his size, Hlekani also possesses plenty of pace, a strong step and good hands, and he undoubtedly has all the attributes to be the next big thing in South African rugby. When considering his path into the Springbok set up, what also works in his favour is the fact that the Springboks do need to build some depth beyond Pieter-Steph du Toit, and there is every reason to believe Hlekani could make his Test debut before the end of the year – perhaps in the one-off fixture planned against Japan in early November. Haashim Pead The talented scrumhalf truly set the U20 Championship alight with a series of sensational performances and try-scoring heroics. Boasting incredible pace, X factor and a strong kicking game, it was no surprise that Pead was one of the Junior Springboks recently called up to join the Springboks in training, and it's believed that he also really impressed during this time. The Springboks took four versatile scrumhalves to the last World Cup, but the fact of the matter is that 33-year-old Faf de Klerk and 35-year-old Cobus Reinach are unlikely to make it to the next global showpiece. With Jaden Hendrikse having also begun to fall down the pecking order, the door truly is open for Pead to begin a rapid rise up the ranks. Grant Williams and Morne van den Berg have impressed in recent times, but it would be no surprise at all to see 20-year-old Pead receive an opportunity this season, or next, to really stake a claim for a ticket to the 2027 World Cup. 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.
The Citizen
31-07-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
OPINION: Currie Cup has lost its bang … but hopefully some new talent will emerge
The Currie Cup is under way once again, but unfortunately this country's top players are not likely to be a part of it. So, the Currie Cup is back, but unfortunately there's little bang to go with it. What was once this country's most prestigious rugby competition is now little more than a development competition or feeder programme. Gone are the days of the country's best players going head-to-head in pursuit of the Currie Cup trophy, one of the most sought-after titles in South African rugby. Of course, it's still lekker to win it, but it's not nearly as glamorous or important as it once was. Now there are bigger things to play for … and I'm not referring to the Springboks' involvement in the Rugby Championship each year. Other competitions Now our best players have the United Rugby Championship to focus on, an international competition that runs on and off for eight months, between October and June the following year. It's a demanding schedule, and then there are still Champions and Challenge Cup matches taking place on the weekends when the URC takes a break. There are now just too many competitions going on for the top players to also still be involved in the Currie Cup. That is why I refer to it as a development competition – it's an opportunity for all the promising young players at the unions to show what they can do to try get into the URC squads. So while the Currie Cup may not be what it once was it's still an important competition for the unions to stay relevant and for the young players to have a platform to push for higher honours. Over the course of the two months of Currie Cup action a few players who might have been overlooked by the URC coaches might put their hands up for consideration to play at a higher level, while the Junior Springboks stars and even a few U19 players could get a look in as well. Boland getting into the mix again this season is also good news, because there's just so much talent down in the Western Cape. Hopefully a few promising youngsters emerge in the coming weeks who one day will be able to say they got their big break in the Currie Cup.
The South African
29-07-2025
- Sport
- The South African
WATCH: SA U20 stars train with Springboks
In another example of some innovative thinking from Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus, it was recently confirmed that three young stars had been called up to train with the senior team after their heroics at the U20 World Championship. Bathobele Hlekani, Cheswill Jooste and Haashim Pead all earned the opportunity to train with the Springbok group during their two-week conditioning camp in Johannesburg, which began on Sunday 27 July. It's something that has understandably excited the South African rugby community, and a clip recently posted by SuperSport shows the three young talents getting stuck into some gym work. In the recent U20 tournament, Hlekani impressed with his powerful performances at blindside flank, Pead set the tournament alight as the standout scrumhalf, while outside back Cheswill Jooste was a constant attacking threat. Speaking about the young guns invited to train with the squad for the next two weeks, Erasmus said: '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.' 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.
The Citizen
26-07-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Lions' tricky balancing act — they want to win Currie Cup, but need to build for URC
The Lions are eager for another run at the Currie Cup title, but their main goal is preparing their squad for the coming URC season. Lions coach Mziwakhe Nkosi and outside back Rabz Maxwane during a training session on Thursday ahead of their opening Currie Cup match against the Sharks at Ellis Park on Saturday. Picture: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images The Lions have to try and pull off a tricky juggling act of going for glory in the Currie Cup, while also preparing their squad for the coming United Rugby Championship (URC) season over the coming two months. Last year's runners-up will be kicking off their campaign with a replay of last year's final, as they host the defending champion Sharks at Ellis Park on Saturday afternoon (kick-off 3pm). In a heartbreaking 2024 finale the Lions thought they had done enough to win the game as the clock went into the red, only for the Sharks to turn over the ball, earn a penalty and slot it to triumph in a thriller, and the Highveld side will have hopes of going one better this year. But head coach Mziwakhe Nkosi admitted that they have a number of goals that they want to achieve, and preparing their larger squad for the URC is the biggest of the lot. High expectations 'We have high expectations (for the Currie Cup) like every franchise. But we also have to tick the boxes that we are setting out to tick and reach the KPIs that we have set for ourselves,' explained Nkosi at a Lions training session on Thursday. 'So we have to try and go as deep as possible (in the competition), and we have to expose a whole lot of youngsters to first class rugby. 'We also have to try and sharpen up the guys that haven't had much game time so that by the time the URC starts we have built some depth, and we are not afraid to say that URC for us is the premier competition and we have to serve that.' Nkosi explained that they have a number of different groups of players all coming together for the competition, and that it had been a challenge to get them all aligned. 'We have quite a mixed group. We have guys who didn't get much game time in the URC. So we have to expose them again and give them some game time. We have a big group of young guys, I think around 10 U21s,' said Nkosi. 'We have a few Junior Springboks who have come in from the Junior World Championship, and then we have one or two additions who haven't played rugby (for the Lions), like Angelo Davids, who we will see a couple of times in this Currie Cup. 'So it has been a challenge to try and get all of them together, but we are ready and going to give it our best shot.' New format This year's Currie Cup will also be played under a new format, which each team playing one round of pool fixtures before going straight into the knockouts. This doesn't leave any room for mistakes and a fast start is needed, unlike in previous editions where the double round allowed for a slow start. 'The new format is challenging, it's not like in previous years. It's similar to a World Cup in the number of games that you play. So getting on the green as quickly as you possibly can is important,' said Nkosi. 'We want to have a good start. We have two home games (first up) so we must cash in and put money in the bank so to speak, around points and wins, before we travel for three away games. It is a short term competition, and we have to make sure that we are at the races early days.' Nkosi is also well aware of the challenge that the Sharks will bring, and believes that his side will be well prepared for it. 'The Sharks are a good team. They are bringing some experienced guys into the match, so it is going to be tough. They have (coach) JP Petersen and his staff, who we meet on the circuit quite often, so we know what they are going to bring and hopefully we are ready for it.'
