The Junior Springboks, led by Stellenbosch local Riley Norton, returned to South African soil as conquering heroes on Monday (21 July), greeted by euphoric fans and SA Rugby top brass after ending a torturous 13-year title drought with a masterful 23-15 triumph over New Zealand’s Junior All Blacks in Italy on Saturday.
Under the astute guidance of head coach Kevin Foote, the Baby Boks delivered when it mattered most, outmuscling their fierce rivals in the scorching summer heat of Rovigo to reclaim the World Rugby Under-20 Championship crown that had eluded them since their last victory in Cape Town in 2012.
Norton, a multi-talented sportsman who has represented SA in both cricket and rugby, is a Paul Roos Gymnasium and Rhenish Primary School old boy and current Stellenbosch University student. The lock forward was head boy of PRG last year and captained the school’s under-19A rugby and cricket teams.
Oliver Reid, prop forward and another PRG old boy, was also part of the match-day 23 that clinched the coveted trophy.
SA Rugby president Mark Alexander couldn’t contain his pride as he welcomed the victorious squad home, declaring it “a very proud day” for rugby in South Africa. “Kevin and the team delivered an outstanding performance throughout the tournament,” Alexander beamed. “This group has been welded into a formidable unit over the course of this year, and many of them have the potential to go on to higher honours.”
The triumph represents a complete vindication of the decision to appoint Foote, whose franchise experience proved invaluable in molding this talented group into world champions.
The Junior Boks’ route to the final was nothing short of spectacular. They demolished Australia 73-12, overpowered England 32-22, and crushed Scotland 73-14 in pool play before dismantling Argentina 48-24 in a semifinal masterclass.
In Saturday’s showpiece, SA seized control from the third minute and never looked back. Winger Xola Nyali and powerhouse Gilermo Mentoe crossed the whitewash, while boot magician Vusi Moyo contributed a crucial 13 points to seal victory.
Moyo finished as the tournament’s leading points scorer with 63, while speedster Haashim Pead terrorised defenses throughout, crossing for six tries to finish second only to Georgia’s Mikheili Shioshvili (7) in the try-scoring charts.
The victory is a testament to the grassroots development work happening across SA rugby, from high school level through to the provincial unions that nurtured these future stars. “This victory is a tribute to all the hard work done at high school level by educators and coaches, and at our provincial unions,” Alexander said, also thanking the sponsors who backed the team.
