SA Rugby names first Under-19 Academy intake

SA Rugby has announced a group of 48 players to attend the first Under-19 Academy camp from 18 to 30 November at the Stellenbosch Academy Sports (SAS), with the camp laying the foundation for the identification and preparation of the next generation of Junior Springboks.

A second camp of two weeks is set to be hosted at the same venue, from 8 to 21 December, whereafter the 2024 SA Rugby Academy programme will commence, as frontrunner for the selection of the next year’s Junior Springbok squad, with new SA U20 coach Kevin Foote taking a central role in the preparations.

Included in the U19 intake are several capped Junior Springboks who played in the inaugural U20 Rugby Championship earlier this year in Australia, as well as the World Rugby U20 Championship hosted in Cape Town.

Herman Lubbe (prop) Divan Fuller (loose forward), Wandile Mlaba (No 8), Bathobele Hlekani (utility forward), Hassiem Pead (scrumhalf) and JC Mars (fullback) were all members of this year’s SA U20 squad, with Fuller, Hlekani and Mars also getting a taste of Carling Currie Cup action.

The rest of the U19 Academy squad features an exciting selection of the brightest young rugby talents in the country, including several members of the SA U19 Cup and U21 Cup winning sides, the Fidelity ADT Lions U19 and DHL WP U21, respectively.

According to Dave Wessels, SA Rugby’s General Manager for High Performance, the establishment of the U19 Academy is one of the key recommendations flowing from the intensive review of the 2024 Junior Bok season, which saw the team finish seventh at the World Rugby U20 Championship and second at the U20 Rugby Championship.

A strategic imperative of SA Rugby is for the Junior Springboks to win the global showpiece at least once in a three-year cycle. The team last won the world championship in 2012, with their narrow loss to England in the 2014 final in Auckland the next best result.

“We had a thorough and robust review of the 2024 SA U20 season and while we agree that our pathway is certainly delivering healthy pipeline of players to the Springboks and senior franchise and provincial teams, the Junior Boks have been struggling to perform consistently on the international stage,” said Wessels.

“The creation of an U19 Academy group was highlighted as an important intervention to bridge the gap between schoolboy participation and U20 international rugby.

“One thing that was also very clear is that we must create more playing opportunities for our youngsters. The European teams have the advantage of the annual U20 Six Nations while the Pacific Nations also have a yearly competition.

“Although participation in the (recently established) U20 Rugby Championship is a helpful step in the right direction, we must be creative in terms of looking for more playing opportunities for this age group.

“It is no coincidence that the likes of England and France have been dominating the U20 international scene the past few years; apart from international participation, their select groups also have opportunities to gain vital experience from playing senior club rugby.”

Wessels mentioned SA Rugby have lined up a couple of fixtures for the U19 Academy squad, with a short international tour to Europe for the Junior Boks early in 2025 also on the cards before next year’s U20 Rugby Championship.

Details of the Academy fixtures and next year’s Junior Bok European tour will be announced once all arrangements have been confirmed.

SA Rugby U19 Academy squad:

Props: Simphiwe Ngobese (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Christoff Etzebeth (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Sibabalwe Booi (Toyota Cheetahs), Ranon Fouche (Vodacom Bulls), Sandi Msengana (Vodacom Bulls), Jean Erasmus (Vodacom Bulls), Ali Thiam (Vodacom Bulls), Herman Lubbe (DHL Western Province).

Hookers: Christian Everitt (Hollywoodbets Sharks), JC Viljoen (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Jaundre Schoeman (Vodacom Bulls), Stefan Venter (Toyota Cheetahs).

Locks: Danio Botha (DHL Western Province), Neil Hansen (Fidelity ADT Lions), Michael Versfeld (Vodacom Bulls), Ulrich van der Westhuizen (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Kuhle Mthimkhulu (Hollywoodbets Sharks) Morne Venter (Fidelity ADT Lions), Eduan Vosloo (Vodacom Bulls).

Loose forwards: Divan Fuller (DHL Western Province), Xola Nyali (DHL Western Province), De Wet Grant Fourie (Fidelity ADT Lions), Bathobele Hlekani (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Matt Romao (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Yabo Ndzamela (Hollywoodbets Sharks), JJ Theron (Vodacom Bulls), Thandolwethu Biyela (Fidelity ADT Lions), Wandile Mlaba (DHL Western Province), Marco Ferreira (Vodacom Bulls).

Scrumhalves: Hassiem Pead (Fidelity ADT Lions), Juan Loots (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Christiaan van der Westhuizen (Toyota Cheetahs), Zeke January (Vodacom Bulls).

Flyhalves: Kyle Smith (DHL Western Province), Matthew Coetzee (Fidelity ADT Lions), JT Kapank (Vodacom Bulls).

Centres: Tirhani Masondo (Fidelity ADT Lions), Albie Bester (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Gino Cupido (DHL Western Province, SA Sevens Academy), Demitre Erasmus (Vodacom Bulls), Exauce Kevani Tshiamala (Fidelity ADT Lions), Scott Nel (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Jody Schambreel (Fidelity ADT Lions).

Outside backs: Siya Ndlozi (Hollywoodbets Sharks, SA Sevens Academy), Riyaad Bam (Vodacom Bulls), JC Mars (DHL Western Province), Gilermo Mentoe (Fidelity ADT Lions), Jaco Williams (Hollywoodbets Sharks).