The Junior Springboks aim to impress in front of their home crowd as they kick off the U20 Rugby Championship against Argentina. The match takes place in Gqeberha, South Africa, at 16h10. Riley Norton will captain the Junior Springboks.
The SANZAAR U20 Rugby Championship features teams from South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, and Argentina. Last year, the Junior Springboks won the Junior World Championship title in Italy. This victory raised expectations for their performance in this championship.
Yet, the competition is fierce. The New Zealand U20 team is defending their Under 20 Rugby Championship title. Australia U20 comes into this championship with momentum, having won two recent matches against Fiji U20 and Japan U23.
More than 10,000 spectators attended the opening round of matches. This strong turnout reflects local support for the Junior Springboks. Kevin Foote, head coach of the Junior Springboks, expressed excitement about their playing style.
Quotes from Kevin Foote:
“Our DNA is our physicality, and we are looking forward to playing an exciting brand of rugby.” and “We had a really good review of our performance against Argentina and, while we are very pleased with the result… there are obviously aspects of our game that need improvement.”.
The Junior Springboks’ next match against Australia is scheduled for May 3. They will need to leverage their home advantage to secure victories in this competitive championship.
