The Junior Springboks received a hero’s welcome on Monday after winning the World Rugby Under-20 Championship in Italy.
Met by cheering fans and SARU president Mr. Mark Alexander, the team celebrated their 23-15 victory over the Junior All Blacks in Rovigo, ending a 13-year wait for the global U20 crown.
Head coach Kevin Foot led the SA Under-20s to a dominant tournament performance, with Mr. Alexander commending the team’s “formidable unit” and highlighting the “hard work done at high school level by educators and coaches, and at our provincial unions.”
He also praised Coach Foot’s impact and the support from the High Performance Department and sponsors.
The Junior Boks’ path to the final included convincing wins over Australia (73-12), England (32-22), Scotland (73-14), and Argentina (48-24).
In the final, tries by Xola Nyali and Gilermo Mentoe, along with 13 points from Vusi Moyo, secured the historic win. Moyo finished as the tournament’s top points-scorer with 63, while Haashim Pead scored six tries.
