When the final whistle pierced the air and Muliaina’s last-gasp penalty drifted agonisingly right of the uprights, the Junior Boks could finally exhale. Champions. The U20 Rugby Championship for 2026 belongs to South Africa after a pulsating 29-29 draw with New Zealand on Saturday afternoon, a match that had absolutely everything except a winner.
This wasn’t coronation, it was combat. The Junior Boks had to dig deep, fight back from conceding three first-half tries, and survive a nerve-shredding finale that will have aged Kevin Foote a decade in 80 minutes. But when the dust settled and the arithmetic was done, South Africa stood atop the championship podium.
Early promise meets Baby Blacks bite
The Junior Boks started with intent, monopolising early possession and winning a pair of penalties that signalled their intentions. The first led to a driving maul that came to nothing, but flyhalf Yaqeen Ahmed made no mistake with the second, slotting three points in the sixth minute to give South Africa an early 3-0 cushion.
New Zealand’s response was swift and clinical. A worked move two minutes later saw Dane Johnston burrow over for an unconverted try, flipping the scoreboard to 5-3 in favour of the Baby Blacks. But the Junior Boks weren’t about to hand over momentum that easily.
Centre Samuel Badenhorst produced a blistering break, put into space by Ahmed’s deft hands, and the move culminated with Akahluwa Boqwana rounding off in the corner. Ahmed’s conversion made it 8-5, and South Africa were back in front.
Baby Blacks turn the screw
Then came the sucker punch. New Zealand managed a tighthead out of nothing in the 14th minute, and when the ball was hoisted into acres of space in South Africa’s 22, Oliver Guerin ran through ahead of the defence to collect and score. Suddenly it was 10-8 to the visitors, and the momentum had swung.
The Baby Blacks were finding their groove, and their forward pack delivered with a trademark maul try through Caleb Woodley to extend the lead to 15-8 in the 22nd minute. South Africa were under the cosh, but champions respond when stung.
The Junior Boks’ pack answered fire with fire, walking New Zealand backwards in a devastating maul before Rambo Kubheka crashed over. Ahmed’s conversion tied things up at 15-all in the 30th minute, and you could sense the green-and-gold resurgence building.
Physicality pays dividends
South Africa’s physicality was coming to the fore, battering away at the Baby Blacks’ line with relentless carries. When the space appeared on the left, Vusi Moyo produced a perfectly weighted chip, and Boqwana was there to collect for his second try of the afternoon. Ahmed’s boot made it 22-15 at the break, and the Junior Boks had their noses in front when it mattered most.
The second half started with the moment that sealed the championship. Just a minute after the restart, Badenhorst crossed for South Africa’s fourth try, the bonus-point score that mathematically wrapped up the title. Ahmed’s conversion stretched the lead to 29-15, and the Junior Boks were in the driver’s seat.
Drama, red cards, and last-gasp tension
New Zealand refused to lie down. Finn McLeod crashed over for a converted try to cut the deficit to 29-22, but the Baby Blacks’ challenge was dealt a hammer blow in the 67th minute when Siale Pahulu saw red for 20 minutes following a head clash.
The drama wasn’t done. In the 77th minute, New Zealand were awarded a penalty try after Jack Benade deliberately knocked the ball down with the Baby Blacks boasting a two-man overlap. Game on at 29-29.
New Zealand had one final chance to steal it. Luke Canon was pinged for sealing at a ruck, handing Muliaina a kick straight in front but 43 metres out. The stadium held its breath. The kick sailed right of the posts, and the spoils were shared.
But the championship? That belongs to the Junior Boks. A draw was all they needed, and a draw was what they got. Not pretty, not comfortable, but absolutely deserved.
Visit KickOff.com to see who scored the points in the match.
