Five capped Junior Boks have been named in a 31-man squad for next month’s U20 Rugby Championship.
The Sanzaar tournament will be staged at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha from 1 to 11 May.
The Junior Boks finished second, behind New Zealand, in last year’s inaugural event in Australia.
Loose forward Batho Hlekani, scrumhalf Haashim Pead and outside back JC Mars are back for their second U20 Rugby Championship, while the two other returning Junior Boks are loose forward Wandile Mlaba and prop Herman Lubbe.
Flank Divan Fuller, who has also been capped by the Junior Boks, will miss the tournament through injury.
“The Rugby Championship is a great opportunity for our players to test their abilities against quality opposition from New Zealand, Australia, and Argentina and we are looking forward to the challenge to play quality opposition in front of our passionate Eastern Cape fans,” said Junior Boks coach Kevin Foote.
“We worked with 80 players during our various training camps, which gave us a fantastic opportunity to test and assess our depth.
“I believe we have selected a competitive Junior Boks squad, consisting of players who have really put up their hand during the camps. A few missed out due to injury while there are also a couple who were retained from last year.”
Foote added that they will monitor player progress in the SA Rugby U21 Cup, which starts next month, and emphasised that the door is not closed at all considering there is still another training block to come after the U20 Rugby Championship in the build-up towards the World Rugby U20 Championship in Italy.
The Junior Boks squad will assemble next Tuesday in Gqeberha.
Junior Springboks squad for U20 Rugby Championship:
Props: Ranon Fouché (Bulls), Jean Erasmus (Bulls), Simphiwe Ngobese (Sharks), Herman Lubbe (Western Province), Oliver Reid (Western Province).
Hookers: Siphosethu Mnebelele (Bulls), Jaundré Schoeman (Bulls), HB Odendaal (Lions).
Locks: Neil Hansen (Lions), Morné Venter (Lions), Riley Norton (Western Province), JJ Theron (Bulls).
Loose forwards: Batho Hlekani (Sharks), Xola Nyali (Western Province), Matt Romao (Sharks), Wandile Mlaba (Western Province), Thando Biyela (Lions).
Scrumhalves: Ceano Everson (Sharks), Haashim Pead (Lions), Elrich Visser (Cheetahs).
Flyhalves: Vusi Moyo (Sharks), Kyle Smith (Western Province).
Centres: Albie Bester (Sharks), Gino Cupido (Western Province), Demitre Erasmus (Bulls), Dominic Malgas (Western Province).
Outside backs: Scott Nel (Sharks), Gilermo Mentoe (Lions), Siya Ndlozi (Western Province), Cheswill Jooste (Bulls), JC Mars (Western Province).
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U20 Rugby Championship fixtures:
Thursday, 1 May
New Zealand vs Australia (2pm)
Junior Boks vs Argentina (4.10pm)
Tuesday, 6 May
New Zealand vs Argentina (2pm)
Junior Boks vs Australia (4.10pm)
Sunday, 11 May
Argentina vs Australia (2pm)
Junior Boks vs New Zealand (4.10pm)
Photo: Grant Pitcher/Gallo Images
