South Africa
UnionSouth African Rugby Union
Nickname(s)Baby Boks
Junior Boks
Little Bokke
Founded2008
Coach(es)Bafana Nhlkeo
Captain(s)George Cronje
League(s)World Rugby Under 20 Championship
20193rd
Team kit
Change kit
First international
v United States (2008)
Largest win
South Africa 108–18 United States
Largest defeat
South Africa 19 – 49 Argentina
World Cup
Appearances12
Best resultChampions (2012)
Union website
www.sarugby.co.za
Current season
← 2018 2020 →

The South Africa national under-20 rugby union team (nicknamed the Junior Boks or the Baby Boks) are South Africa's junior team at national level. They have been competing in the World Rugby Under 20 Championship (formerly the IRB Junior World Championship) since its inception in 2008. This Under-20 tournament replaced the previously-held Under-19 and Under-21 Rugby World Championships. Prior to 2018, it had been the country's "next senior" (second-level) 15-man national side, but World Rugby no longer allows member unions to designate age-grade sides as "next senior" teams.

History

Head to Head

  • Stats correct as of 2 July 2023
Opposition Played Won Drawn Lost % Won
 Argentina 5 3 0 2 60%
 Australia 3 2 0 1 67%
 England 11 3 0 8 27%
 Fiji 2 2 0 0 100%
 France 8 5 1 2 63%
 Georgia 4 4 0 0 100%
 Ireland 4 3 0 1 75%
 Italy 4 3 0 1 75%
 Japan 1 1 0 0 100%
 New Zealand 7 6 0 1 86%
 Samoa 3 3 0 0 100%
 Scotland 5 5 0 0 100%
 Tonga 1 1 0 0 100%
 United States 2 2 0 0 100%
 Wales 2 1 0 1 50%
Total 62 44 1 17 71%

Summary

South African Final Placing
P W D L PF PA
2008330017319Lost—3rd
2009330014440Lost—3rd
2010320114856Lost—3rd
201132019552——5th
201232019941WonWonChampions
2013330015443Lost—3rd
2014330011537WonLost2nd
2015330011926Lost—3rd
2016320111269Lost—4th
2017321013351Lost—3rd
201832019290Lost—3rd
2019330011656Lost—3rd

2008

South Africa took part in the inaugural edition of the competition in 2008 held in Wales, where they were drawn in Pool B. They beat the United States 108–18 in their very first game.[1] A 72–3 victory over Scotland[2] and a 16–11 win against Samoa[3] saw them top the pool to qualify for the semi-final stages. They lost their semi-final match 18–26 to England,[4] but returned to winning ways with a 43–18 win over hosts Wales in the third-place play-off match.[5]

Matches

6 June 2008 (group stage)  South Africa 108 - 18  United States Racecourse Ground, Wrexham  
10 June 2008 (group stage)  South Africa 72 - 3  Scotland Racecourse Ground, Wrexham  
14 June 2008 (group stage)  South Africa 16 - 11  Samoa Racecourse Ground, Wrexham  
14 June 2008 (semifinal)  South Africa 18 - 26  England Arms Park, Cardiff  
22 June 2008 (3rd/4th Playoff)  South Africa 43 - 18  Wales Liberty Stadium, Swansea  

2009

South Africa were placed in Pool C of the 2009 competition held in Japan. They emulated their 2008 form, winning all three of their pool matches – they beat Fiji 36–10,[6] Italy 65–3[7] and France 43–27[8] to finish top of the pool. They again lost to England in the semi-finals (losing 21–40),[9] but again bounced back by winning the third-place play-off match, this time beating Australia 32–5.[10]

Matches

5 June 2009 (group stage)  South Africa 36 - 10  Fiji Kintetsu Hanazono Rugby Stadium, Osaka  
Try: CJ Stander, Robert Ebersohn, Sias Ebersohn, Sampie Mastriet
Con: Sias Ebersohn 2
Pen: Sias Ebersohn 3
Drop: Sias Ebersohn		 Referee: New Zealand Keith Brown
9 June 2009 (group stage)  South Africa 65 - 3 Italy  Kintetsu Hanazono Rugby Stadium, Osaka  
Try: Gerhard van den Heever 2, Seabela Omphile 2, Lionel Cronjé 2, Sias Ebersohn, Robert Ebersohn, Tendayi Chikukwa, Johann Sadie
Con: Sias Ebersohn 4, Lionel Cronjé 2
Pen: Sias Ebersohn 3		 Referee: Scotland Peter Allan
13 June 2009 (group stage)  South Africa 43 - 27 France  Kintetsu Hanazono Rugby Stadium, Osaka  
Try: Sampie Mastriet 2, Jandré Marais, Ross Cronjé, Lionel Cronjé
Con: Francois Brummer 2
Pen: Francois Brummer 3
Drop: Sias Ebersohn		 Referee: Wales James Jones
17 June 2009 (semifinal)  South Africa 21 - 40  England Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium, Tokyo  
Try: CJ Stander, Stokkies Hanekom
Con: Francois Brummer
Pen: Francois Brummer 3		 Referee: New Zealand Chris Pollock
21 June 2009 (3rd/4th Playoff)  South Africa 32 - 5 Australia  Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium, Tokyo  
Try: Lionel Cronjé, Gerhard van den Heever, Stokkies Hanekom
Con: Francois Brummer 3
Pen: Francois Brummer 2		 Referee: New Zealand Keith Brown

2010

A 40–14 victory over Tonga[11] in the opening match of Pool C in the 2010 IRB Junior World Championship held in Argentina was followed up by a 73–0 victory over Scotland,[12] before South Africa suffered their first ever pool stage defeat in the competition, losing 35–42 to Australia.[13] Although finishing in second position in the pool, they still qualified for the semi-finals by virtue of having the best record of the second-placed teams across the three pools. They were eliminated 7–36 by New Zealand in the semi-finals,[14] but managed to win the third-place play-off for the third year in a row, avenging their previous semi-final exists at the hands of England by beating them 27–22.[15]

2011

Victories in South Africa's first two matches at the 2011 IRB Junior World Championship held in Italy – beating Scotland 33–0[16] and Ireland 42–26[17] – were followed by a defeat at the hands of England, losing 20–26[18] to finish second in the pool and failing to qualify for the semi-finals for the first time. Instead, they went into the fifth-placed play-off series, where a 57–15 win over pool rivals Ireland[19] and a 104–17 win over Fiji[20] saw them finish the competition in fifth spot.

2012

South Africa hosted the tournament in 2012, but the hosts got off to a bad start, losing 19–23 to Ireland in their first match.[21] However, they recovered to beat Italy 52–3[22] and previously-unbeaten England 28–15[23] to finish top of the log. They easily dispatched Argentina in the semi-final, winning 35–3,[24] before beating New Zealand 22–16 in the final in Cape Town,[25] winning the competition for the first time and ending the latter's four-year reign as champions.[26]

2013

South Africa won all three their pool matches at the 2013 IRB Junior World Championship held in France; they beat the United States 97–0,[27] England 31–24[28] and hosts France 26–19[29] to top their pool to qualify to the semi-finals. They lost their semi-final match 17–18 to Wales[30] before winning their fourth third-place play-off match in six seasons, beating New Zealand 41–34.[31]

2014

In the 2014 IRB Junior World Championship held in New Zealand, South Africa beat Scotland 61–5,[32] hosts New Zealand 33–24[33] and Samoa 21–8[34] to finish top of their pool. They again met New Zealand in the semi-finals and beat them again, this time by a 32–25 scoreline,[35] to qualify to their second final. However, they lost the final 20–21 to England to finish the competition in second spot.[36]

2015

For 2015, the IRB Junior World Championship was rebranded as the World Rugby Under 20 Championship. South Africa started the competition with a 33–5 win against hosts Italy[37] and recorded a 40–8 win against Samoa[38] and a 46–13 win over Australia[39] in their remaining pool matches to finish top of Pool B to qualify for the semi-finals with the best record pool stage of all the teams in the competition. They came up against an England side that beat them in the 2014 final and were eliminated by the same opponents again, losing 20–28 to be eliminated from the competition.[40] They restored some pride by winning their third-place play-off match against France 31–18 to win the bronze medal.[41]

2016

South Africa came from behind to beat Japan 59–19 in their opening match in Pool C of the 2016 World Rugby Under 20 Championship held in Manchester.[42] They were beaten 13–19 by Argentina in their second match,[43] suffering only their fourth defeat ever in the pool stage of the competition, but bounced back to secure a 40-31 bonus-point victory over France in their final pool match[44] to secure a semi-final place as the best runner-up in the competition. They faced hosts and three-time champions England in the semi-finals, who proved too strong for the visitors, knocking them out of the competition with a 39–17 victory.[45] South Africa's final match came against Argentina, who already beat them previously in Pool C, in the third-place play-off final. Argentina won again, with a very convincing 49–19 scoreline,[46] condemning South Africa to fourth place in the competition.

Players

Current squad

The following players were named in the South Africa Under-20 squad for the 2019 World Rugby Under 20 Championship:[47]

2019 South Africa Under–20 rugby union team
Name SCO GEO NZL FRA ARG App Try Con Pen DG Pts
Dian Bleuler111117 upward-facing green arrow 500000
Fez Mbatha22222 5200010
Asenathi Ntlabakanye33333 510005
JJ van der Mescht44444 5300015
Emile van Heerden5525 upward-facing green arrow25 300000
Jaco Labuschagne621 upward-facing green arrow2020 upward-facing green arrow6 400000
Phepsi Buthelezi (c)78888 500000
Francke Horn8 110005
Jaden Hendrikse999923 upward-facing green arrow 5284038
James Mollentze10101010 400000
Caleb Dingaan1111262622 upward-facing green arrow 300000
Rikus Pretorius1212121212 5200010
Marnus Potgieter1313131325 400000
Angelo Davids1414141414 510005
Vaughen Isaacs1515151515 510005
Dameon Venter16 upward-facing green arrow16 upward-facing green arrow16 upward-facing green arrow16 upward-facing green arrow16 upward-facing green arrow 500000
Kudzwai Dube17 upward-facing green arrow17 upward-facing green arrow17 upward-facing green arrow17 upward-facing green arrow1 510005
Keagan Glade18 upward-facing green arrow18 upward-facing green arrow18 upward-facing green arrow18 upward-facing green arrow18 upward-facing green arrow 500000
Thabiso Mdletshe1919191919 upward-facing green arrow 100000
Elrigh Louw2020 upward-facing green arrow555 400000
Dylan Richardson 21 upward-facing green arrow66620 upward-facing green arrow 5200010
David Kriel2227282813 100000
Sanele Nohamba23 upward-facing green arrow23 upward-facing green arrow23 upward-facing green arrow23 upward-facing green arrow9 5273033
Celimpilo Gumede24 upward-facing green arrow721 upward-facing green arrow217 400000
David Coetzer2526 upward-facing green arrow27 upward-facing green arrow27 upward-facing green arrow10 410018
Mnombo Zwelendaba262222 upward-facing green arrow26 100000
Sibusiso Sangweni27247721 200000
Thaakir Abrahams2822 upward-facing green arrow111111 4300015
Janko Swanepoel242424 upward-facing green arrow 100000
Total5221571164

(c) denotes the team captain. For each match, the player's squad number is shown. Starting players are numbered 1 to 15, while the replacements are numbered 16 to 23. If a replacement made an appearance in the match, it is indicated by upward-facing green arrow. "App" refers to the number of appearances made by the player, "Try" to the number of tries scored by the player, "Con" to the number of conversions kicked, "Pen" to the number of penalties kicked, "DG" to the number of drop goals kicked and "Pts" refer to the total number of points scored by the player.

Previous squads

The following players played at previous editions of the World Rugby Under 20 Championship:

(c) denotes team captain.

  • "SA Rugby Competition – 2016 World Rugby U20 Championship". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 3 June 2016.

References

  1. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa 108–18 USA". South African Rugby Union. 6 June 2008. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  2. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa 72–3 Scotland". South African Rugby Union. 10 June 2008. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  3. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa 16–11 Samoa". South African Rugby Union. 14 June 2008. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  4. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – England 26–18 South Africa". South African Rugby Union. 18 June 2008. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  5. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Wales 18–43 South Africa". South African Rugby Union. 22 June 2008. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  6. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Fiji 10–36 South Africa". South African Rugby Union. 5 June 2009. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  7. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Italy 3–65 South Africa". South African Rugby Union. 9 June 2009. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  8. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – France 27–43 South Africa". South African Rugby Union. 13 June 2009. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  9. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa 21–40 England". South African Rugby Union. 17 June 2009. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  10. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Australia 5–32 South Africa". South African Rugby Union. 21 June 2009. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  11. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa 40–14 Tonga". South African Rugby Union. 5 June 2010. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  12. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa 73–0 Scotland". South African Rugby Union. 9 June 2010. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  13. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa 35–42 Australia". South African Rugby Union. 13 June 2010. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  14. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – New Zealand 36–7 South Africa". South African Rugby Union. 17 June 2010. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  15. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – England 22–27 South Africa". South African Rugby Union. 21 June 2010. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  16. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa 33–0 Scotland". South African Rugby Union. 10 June 2011. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  17. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Ireland 26–42 South Africa". South African Rugby Union. 14 June 2011. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  18. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – England 26–20 South Africa". South African Rugby Union. 18 June 2011. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  19. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa 57–15 Ireland". South African Rugby Union. 22 June 2011. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  20. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Fiji 17–104 South Africa". South African Rugby Union. 26 June 2011. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  21. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa 19–23 Ireland". South African Rugby Union. 4 June 2012. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  22. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa 52–3 Italy". South African Rugby Union. 8 June 2012. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  23. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa 28–15 England". South African Rugby Union. 12 June 2012. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  24. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Argentina 3–35 South Africa". South African Rugby Union. 17 June 2012. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  25. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – New Zealand 16–22 South Africa". South African Rugby Union. 22 June 2012. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  26. ↑ "Junior Boks end Baby Blacks' rein". ESPN Scrum. 22 June 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2014.
  27. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa 97–0 USA". South African Rugby Union. 5 June 2013. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  28. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa 31–24 England". South African Rugby Union. 9 June 2013. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  29. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – France 19–26 South Africa". South African Rugby Union. 13 June 2013. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  30. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa 17–18 Wales". South African Rugby Union. 18 June 2013. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  31. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa 41–34 New Zealand". South African Rugby Union. 23 June 2013. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  32. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa 61–5 Scotland". South African Rugby Union. 2 June 2014. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  33. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – New Zealand 24–33 South Africa". South African Rugby Union. 6 June 2014. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  34. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Samoa 8–21 South Africa". South African Rugby Union. 10 June 2014. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  35. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa 32–25 New Zealand". South African Rugby Union. 15 June 2014. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  36. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – England 21–20 South Africa". South African Rugby Union. 20 June 2014. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  37. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Italy U20 5–33 South Africa U20". South African Rugby Union. 2 June 2015. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  38. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa U20 40–8 Samoa U20". South African Rugby Union. 6 June 2015. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  39. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa U20 46–13 Australia U20". South African Rugby Union. 10 June 2015. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  40. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa U20 20–28 England U20". South African Rugby Union. 15 June 2015. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  41. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – France U20 18–31 South Africa U20". South African Rugby Union. 20 June 2015. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  42. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa U20 59–19 Japan U20". South African Rugby Union. 7 June 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  43. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa U20 13–19 Argentina U20". South African Rugby Union. 11 June 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  44. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa U20 40–31 France U20". South African Rugby Union. 15 June 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  45. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – England U20 39–17 South Africa U20". South African Rugby Union. 20 June 2016. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  46. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Argentina U20 49–19 South Africa U20". South African Rugby Union. 25 June 2016. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  47. ↑ "Buthelezi to lead Junior Boks at World Rugby U20 Champs" (Press release). South African Rugby Union. 7 May 2019. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.