{"id":94951,"date":"2026-05-07T12:09:03","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T10:09:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ssschoolsplus.co.za\/?p=94951"},"modified":"2026-05-07T12:09:03","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T10:09:03","slug":"junior-boks-opt-for-continuity-in-u20-rugby-championship-decider-against-nz","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/?p=94951","title":{"rendered":"Junior Boks opt for continuity in u20 Rugby Championship decider against NZ"},"content":{"rendered":"
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GQEBERHA, SOUTH AFRICA – MAY 03: Try scorer \u2060Yaqeen Ahmed of South Africa during the U20 Rugby Championship match between South Africa and Australia at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on May 03, 2026 in Gqeberha, South Africa. (Photo by Richard Huggard\/Gallo Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Junior Springbok head coach Kevin Foote has opted for continuity for their Under-20 Rugby Championship decider against New Zealand on Saturday, making just one change to the matchday squad for the final encounter at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha.<\/p>\n

Kick-off is scheduled for 16h10, with the match broadcast live on SuperSport. Tickets are available by clicking here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The only adjustment to the team that defeated Australia last weekend is on the replacements bench, where loose forward Risima Khosa returns in place of Gert Kemp in an otherwise settled squad.<\/p>\n

South Africa currently top the standings on 10 points and require just a single log point from Saturday\u2019s clash to clinch the U20 Rugby Championship title for the first time.<\/p>\n

Despite New Zealand\u2019s recent stumble against Argentina, Foote believes the rivalry with the Kiwis remains the ultimate challenge for any South African rugby player, and feels the stage is set for another classic encounter between the two traditional rivals in the Friendly City.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor us in rugby, it doesn\u2019t get better than South Africa versus New Zealand,\u201d said Foote.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are our greatest rivals and the opportunity to play them in front of the Gqeberha crowd at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium is a privilege for everyone involved with the Junior Boks.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have huge respect for the New Zealanders and, like us, they will be highly motivated to end the tournament on a high.\u201d<\/p>\n

A combined total of more than 20,000 supporters attended the opening two rounds at the NMB Stadium, prompting Foote to emphasise the impact of home support.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a unique energy that comes with playing in the Eastern Cape,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve felt the passion from the Gqeberha crowd since we arrived here two weeks ago and having that passionate support behind us means a great deal to the team.\u201d<\/p>\n

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GQEBERHA, SOUTH AFRICA – MAY 03: Ball carrier \u2060Luke Canon of South Africa during the U20 Rugby Championship match between South Africa and Australia at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on May 03, 2026 in Gqeberha, South Africa. (Photo by Richard Huggard\/Gallo Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Looking ahead to the final round, Foote stressed that the team\u2019s focus extends beyond silverware: \u201cOur objective on Saturday is about more than just the trophy \u2013 it\u2019s about our growth and continuing the journey we\u2019ve started with this group.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese two teams have a history of producing memorable encounters when they meet, and it\u2019s every South African rugby player\u2019s dream to stand facing the haka and take on New Zealand.\u201d<\/p>\n

Foote added that he was pleased with the team\u2019s preparation for the clash: \u201cWe\u2019ve had a good week of preparation. The players are excited for this massive challenge, and the staff have done a tremendous job in keeping the group close-knit and in a very positive space.<\/p>\n

\u201cGqeberha is a wonderful venue to host an international tournament such as the U20 Rugby Championship, and the people of the Eastern Cape have been outstanding hosts. We hope to repay that support with a quality performance against our greatest rivals on Saturday,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Junior Springbok team to face NZ in Gqeberha:<\/strong><\/p>\n

15 \u2060Akahluwa Boqwana
\n14 \u2060Jack Benade
\n13 \u2060Samuel Badenhorst
\n12 \u2060Ethan Adams
\n11\u2060 Khuthadzo Rasivhaga
\n10 \u2060Yaqeen Ahmed
\n9 \u2060Hendr\u00e9 Schoeman
\n8\u2060 Kebotile Maake
\n7\u2060 Wasi Vyambwera
\n6 \u2060Luke Canon
\n5 \u2060Riley Norton (captain)
\n4\u2060 Heinrich Theron
\n3 \u2060Danie Kruger
\n2 \u2060Liam van Wyk
\n1 Rambo Kubheka<\/p>\n

Replacements<\/strong><\/p>\n

16 \u2060Mahle Sithole
\n17 \u2060Oliver Reid
\n18 Luan van der Berg
\n19 \u2060JD Hattingh
\n20 Risima Khosa
\n21 \u2060Jayden Brits
\n22 \u2060Vusi Moyo
\n23 \u2060Jade Muller<\/p>\n

Issued by SA Rugby Communications<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Junior Springbok head coach Kevin Foote has opted for continuity for their Under-20 Rugby Championship decider against New Zealand on Saturday, making just one change to the matchday squad for the final encounter at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha. Kick-off is scheduled for 16h10, with the match broadcast live on SuperSport. Tickets are […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":94957,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-94951","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94951","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=94951"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94951\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/94957"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=94951"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=94951"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=94951"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}