Blog

The Junior Springboks recorded their third straight bonus-point victory in the pool phase of the World Rugby U20 Championship as they beat Scotland by 73-14 on a sunny Wednesday afternoon in Calvisano to seal top spot in their group in Italy.

The South Africans also beat Australia (73-17) and England (32-22) to book their spot in the semi-finals, and on Wednesday they probably did enough to secure the top-seed position for the playoffs, which are scheduled to take place next Monday.

Playing with purpose and showcasing their silky skills, the first half belonged to the Junior Boks, who scored at more than a point per minute as they crossed the Scottish tryline seven times.

Jaco Williams (left wing) scored after four minutes when he launched a counter-attack from inside his own 22. Six minutes later captain and flanker Thando Biyela was driven over, with Dominic Malgas (centre) adding the third in the 13th minute after a sniping break and great run from the back of a great scrum by Ceano Everson (scrumhalf).

The bonus point try was in the bag in the 16th minute when Williams scored his second try from a lineout move and Oliver Reid (prop) added his name to the score sheet five minutes later from a maul.

Scotland pulled ne back through Seb Stephen (hooker), but fullback Gilermo Mentoe’s try in the 31ste minute, followed by Jean Erasmus (prop) crashing over four minutes later, pushed the Junior Boks past 40 points in the half.

It could have been 50 had Reid not dropped the ball on the tryline from a 30m rolling maul on the stroke of half-time, and from the restart after the break, Williams came within centimetres of grabbing his hat-trick as he just stepped on the dead-ball line as he dotted down.

In the next few minutes, Cheswill Jooste (wing) and Jaco Grobbelaar (lock) were held up over the line as the South Africans kept hammering away as Kevin Foote (head coach) brought on the replacements.

The Junior Boks lost a bit of momentum as Scotland stepped up their game, but the men in green and gold were probably also guilty of becoming a bit too loose as they tried to stretch their lead.

They finally scored again on the hour mark as Everson stepped his way through the Scottish defence, and four minutes later Stephanus Linde (No 8) rounded off a brilliant team try that started from a counter-attack in their own 22, with the handling simply brilliant.

Everson scored his brace in the 71st minute to push the Junior Boks past 60 points as they grew in confidence, but Oliver Finlayson-Russell (replacement prop) grabbed a second for the Scots as they refused to give up.

However, Haashim Pead (replacement scrumhalf) scored his fifth try of the competition at the death, from a move that started with a scrum in their own half, to push the Junior Boks past 70 for the second time in Italy.

Scorers:

Junior Springboks 73 (45) – Tries: Jaco Williams (2), Thando Biyela, Dominic Malgas, Oliver Reid, Gilermo Mentoe, Jean Erasmus, Ceano Everson (2), Stephanus Linde, Haashim Pead. Conversions: Vusi Moyo (4), Ian van der Merwe (5).

Scotland 14 (7) – Tries: Seb Stephen, Oliver Finlayson-Russell. Conversions: Matthew Urwin, Jack Brown.

Issued by SA Rugby Communications

Having racked up 164 points in their first two outings at this year’s Academy Week, the Golden Lions find themselves in pole position to clinch their third consecutive title, following back-to-back wins in 2023 and ’24.

Relive all the action on SuperSport Schools – (www.supersportschools.com) 

In their second encounter, a rematch of the 2024 final and the main match of day two against Eastern Province, they again ran rampant to run away with 56-10.

Jaydon Viljoen is now the leading points-scorer of the week, having enjoyed a flawless day from the tee to convert all eight of his side’s tries. Scrumhalf, Gideon Diedericks, of Hoërskool Noordheuwel, enjoyed a stellar first start to run in a brace of tries, while his Nories colleague, Andrew Lambert, also dotted down twice thanks to a dominant performance by the pack.

The Lions’ driving maul continues to be a lethal weapon in their quest for glory, ensuring that the dangerous backline from south of the Jukskei can launch wave after wave of attack.

Western Province held off a spirited performance from the Lions Welpies to eventually scrape through 25-21. Initially, the Cape-based side looked as if they were comfortably on their way to victory over the Lions youngsters, yet the Welpies refused to lie down.

Prop Diandro Botha led the fightback with another powerhouse performance that yielded two tries. However, early scores by Wege van Zyl and Harry Soboil, as well as the final nail in the coffin by livewire fullback, Chadlin Sellidon, saw WP through.

The battle at the breakdown was particularly ferocious, with both sides relentlessly attacking the ball. Province’s four-point victory has booked a showdown with the Lions in the unofficial final on Friday, which will take place on Hoërskool Middelburg’s A-Field.

The Sharks’ Theo Boshoff had another noteworthy performance in KwaZulu-Natal’s 32-5 victory over Boland. As was the case in the Sharks’ first outing, Boshoff was instrumental with his energetic performance and was rewarded with another try this year.

South Western District‘s Eagles handed Free State their second consecutive loss with a dominant performance. Backed up by Charles Vosloo‘s boot, Henru Nel, Farrel Dido and Caleb Williams all crossed the whitewash as the Eagles cruised to a 25-7 win, rubbing further salt into the Free State wounds.

The Waterkloof duo from the Blue Bulls, Marko Kok and Ronan Bastiaanse, delivered the goods as the side from north of the Jukskei returned to winning ways with a 52-19 romp against the Limpopo Blue Bulls. Along with his brace of tries, Bastiaanse also slotted four conversions to move up to second spot on the points-scorers table.

Scorers: 

Hoërskool Middelburg B-Field:

Golden Lions 56 (28) – Tries: Gideon Diedericks (2), Andrew Lambert (2), Ndimphiwe Mijiji, Rio Tshimbalanga, Samuel Smith, Michael Nwongwugwu. Conversions: Jaydon Viljoen (8). Eastern Province 10 (5) – Tries: James Mackenzie, Bradley Myburgh.

Western Province 25 (12) – Tries: Wege van Zyl, Harry Soboil, Chadlin Sellidon. Conversions: Francois van der Merwe (2). Penalties: Van der Merwe (2). Golden Lions XV 21 (0) – Diandro Botha (2), Dali Milanzi. Conversions: Daniel Soekoe (3).

Sharks 32 (22) – Tries: Theo Boshoff, Kanco Visagie, Ludi van der Walkt, Olwethu Kosani. Conversions: Cilermo Carolus (3). Penalties: Carolus. Boland 5 (0) – Try: Mychal Swart.

South Western Districts 25 (25) – Tries: Henru Nel, Farrel Dido, Caleb Williams. Conversions: Charles Vosloo (2). Penalty: Vosloo (2). Free State 7 (0) – Try: Keaton Pottas. Conversion: Okuhle Dyani.

Blue Bulls 52 (31) – Tries: Marko Kok (2), Ronan Bastiaanse (2), Charl Els, Joshua Fourie, Nico Klein, Petrus Rautenbach. Conversions: Ronan Bastiaanse (4), Tilon Baron (2). Limpopo Blou Bulle 19 (0) – Tries: Joe Cloete, Henco Venter, Daniel Leahy. Conversions: Juan Randall (2).

Scorers: 

Hoërskool Middelburg B-Field: 

Golden Lions 56 (28) – Tries: Gideon Diedericks (2), Andrew Lambert (2), Ndimphiwe Mijiji, Rio Tshimbalanga, Samuel Smith, Michael Nwongwugwu. Conversions: Jaydon Viljoen (8). Eastern Province 10 (5) – Tries: James Mackenzie, Bradley Myburgh.

Western Province 25 (12) – Tries: Wege van Zyl, Harry Soboil, Chadlin Sellidon. Conversions: Francois van der Merwe (2). Penalties: Van der Merwe (2). Golden Lions XV 21 (0) – Diandro Botha (2), Dali Milanzi. Conversions: Daniel Soekoe (3).

Sharks 32 (22) – Tries: Theo Boshoff, Kanco Visagie, Ludi van der Walkt, Olwethu Kosani. Conversions: Cilermo Carolus (3). Penalties: Carolus. Boland 5 (0) – Try: Mychal Swart.

South Western Districts 25 (25) – Tries: Henru Nel, Farrel Dido, Caleb Williams. Conversions: Charles Vosloo (2). Penalty: Vosloo (2). Free State 7 (0) – Try: Motheo Sempe. Conversion: Okuhle Dyani.

Blue Bulls 52 (31) – Tries: Marko Kok (2), Ronan Bastiaanse (2), Charl Els, Joshua Fourie, Nico Klein, Petrus Rautenbach. Conversions: Ronan Bastiaanse (4), Tilon Baron (2). Limpopo Blou Bulle 19 (0) – Tries: Joe Cloete, Henco Venter, Daniel Leahy. Conversions: Juan Randall (2).

Hoërskool Middelburg C-Field: 

Border 27 (10) – Tries: Kamvelihle Sithole (2), Luphumzo Toyo, Phawu Ludwaba. Conversions: Ignanathi Mnunu (2). Penalty: Mnunu. Pumas 17 (3) – Tries: Siboniso Manglanghu, Ethan Esterhuizen. Conversions: WJ Enslin (2). Penalty: Enslin.

Valke 25 (12) – Try: Koketso Maphopha. Penalties: Jason Coetzer (6). Griquas 19 (0) – Tries: Hlompo Rooibaadjies, Dohan Dege, Azince Mphawuli. Conversions: JG van Heerden (2).

Griffons 31 (24) – Tries: Adieu Cramford (2), Vusi Ndyayi, Jayden Windvogel. Conversions: Windvogel (3), Tyron Adams. Zimbabwe 12 (0) – Tries: Khulekani Nduku, Tavonga Chirisa. Conversion: Rukudzo Mayida.

Namibia 34 (31) – Tries: Ethan Sinden (2), JD Jankowitz, Frederick Engelbrecht, Buhlem Oelofsen. Conversions: William Beukes (2), Jankowitz. Penalty: MC van Wyk. LSEN XV 29 (10) – Tries: Ralton Rhode (2), Rigen Chigosie, Ayema Mbotya. Conversions: Yusuf Hannibal (3). Penalty: Hannibal.

Leopards 26 (5) – Tries: Wian Vieter (2), Wian du Preez, Lethabo Rebanone. Conversions: Luan Snyman (2), Juhan Geldenhuys. Border Country Districts 7 (7) – Try: Uyathnadwa Nogqala. Conversion: Siphesande Mchangayi.

Scorers: 

South Western Districts 54 (26) – Tries: Christiaan Vorster (2), Jacobus de Villiers (2), Keenan Myners, Lee-Winn Pretorius, Matthew Prins, Tyrese Plaaitjies. Conversion: Virgil Pockpas (4), Jandrian Goosen (3). Golden Lions 22 (7) – Tries: Ty Ax, Sam Bruwer, Aidan Bester. Conversions: Jeandre Uithaler, Ethan Lourens. Penalty: Uithaler.

Free State 52 (27) – Try: Lamla Mgedezi (3), Ethan Adams (2), O’Ryan Kleyn, AJ Meyer. Conversions: Darius Erwee (4). Penalties: Erwee (3). Blue Bulls 33 (19) – Try: Thabiso Simelane (3), Junaide Stuart, Luan Potgieter. Conversions: Ruben Groenewald (4).

Western Province XV 45 (33) – Tries: Caleb Koeberg (2), Gershom Pieters (2), Steph van der Merwe, Jason Ocks, Tiaan Basson. Conversions: Iwan Jordaan (4), Mark Grindlay. Pumas 14 (7) – Try: Franko Rossouw, Siyanda Dennisson. Conversions: Matthew Abbey (2).

Limpopo Blue Bulls 49 (21) – Tries: Ziahn Lombaard (3), Tumi Ramohale, Anzio Swartbooi, Gehan Hendricks, Stephan Janse van Rensburg. Conversions: Ryno Mienie (7). Griffons 44 (31) – Tries: Emile Mahlelebe (2), Joze Draghoender, Sedwin Gysman, Xander Wiltshire, Qlin Booyse. Conversions: Olereko Sebatana (3), Draghoender. Penalties: Sebatana (2).

The draw for the Eastern Cape leg of South Africa’s leading youth football tournament, the Engen Knockout Challenge, took place on Tuesday at the Kennaway Hotel, in East London.

The event brought together representatives from Engen, the Eastern Cape Football Association, participating clubs, and key football stakeholders, and set the stage for the regional tournament, which will be played on 26-27 July at Dale College, in Qonce.

It’s the first time that the tournament visits Qonce and it demonstrates Engen’s ongoing efforts to widen access and opportunity within grassroots football.

Speaking at the event, Engen Knockout Challenge ambassador and FIFA Talent Coach, Thabo Senong, highlighted the importance of taking the tournament to new communities.

“It’s vital for platforms like the Engen Knockout Challenge to reach different parts of the country,” he said.

“By moving into King William’s Town (Qonce), we open the door to players with talent who just need the right platform. It’s how we grow South African football.”

Engen Communications Manager, Gavin Smith, reiterated the brand’s continued investment in youth development and spoke about the vision behind this year’s campaign message: “The Engen Knockout Challenge continues to be a space where potential is recognised and developed.

“This year’s message, ‘It’s Your Moment, Future Diski Legends’, is a reminder to every young player that their time is now.”

The tournament in Qonce will feature 16 girls’ and 16 boys’ teams.

Engen Knockout Challenge Eastern Cape Groups

Girls’ draw

Group A: Caledonian AFC, Maivuke FC, Phoenix Birds Ladies FC
Group B: Coastal United Ladies FC, Golden Stars Ladies, City Lads FC
Group C: Shakes 1O1, Ebhayi FC, WSU BCC
Group D: Blackpool Ladies FC, Nav-Galaxy Ladies, Buffalo Stars Ladies

Boys’ draw

Group A: Malcomess Secondary School, Braelyn Brothers Fc, Maria-Kouw High School
Group B: Chippa United FC, United Professional FC, City Strikers FC
Group C: Matshona Young Stars, Red Lions FC, Real Aces FC
Group D: Mini Stars FC, Highbury FC, Strikers FC

The u16 Girls’ SASHOC National Week got off to a chilly start on Tuesday at St Anne’s DSG, in Hilton.

The event brings together top young talent from across the country and runs through to Sunday, 13 July, when the national provincial champion will be crowned.

Eastern Province wasted no time making their presence felt. Up against Eastern Gauteng in their opener, they delivered a commanding performance.

They dominated possession and relentlessly created attacking opportunities. Their efforts were rewarded with a stunning 5–0 victory, which was one of the biggest winning margins of the day.

Eastern Province also played a second fixture on Tuesday. Facing Southern Gauteng B, they maintained their attacking rhythm and defensive discipline to secure another emphatic win, this time by a 5-1 margin.

One of the most tightly contested matches of the day came in the Boland derby between Boland A and Boland B. Contests between familiar opponents can be tricky, but Boland A mustered a 3–1 victory.

Frankie Henn opened the scoring for Boland A 16 minutes into the game. Shortly after that, Nicola van der Merwe doubled the lead with a well-taken field goal.

Boland B, though, fought back with determination and their persistence was rewarded when Willanie du Preez pulled one back.

Despite late pressure from the B team, Alanda Rademeyer ensured the Boland A side would win, scoring their third goal.

In another A vs B match, the Southern Gauteng teams met. This time, the spoils were shared with the B team, perhaps, damaging their A side’s title challenge by holding them to a 1-1 draw. The match highlighted the depth of talent in the Southern Gauteng setup.

There were two more draws on the opening day, with Southern Free State and Western Province finishing 2–2 after an end-to-end clash, while KZN Inland and Northern Gauteng also shared the spoils after a 2-2 game.

Southern Gauteng A bagged a win later in the day, beating Southern Free State 2-0, while Northerns ended the day on top of the Pool B table after a narrow 1-0 win over Boland B in their second outing.

KZN Coastal A showed how to do it in a meeting of A and B teams, beating KZN Coastal B 3-0, with their ball control, quick transitions, and cohesion on the field earning them one of the cleanest wins of the day.

RESULTS

Pool A

Eastern Gauteng 0–5 Eastern Province
Southern Gauteng A 1–1 Southern Gauteng B
Southern Free State 2–2 Western Province
Southern Gauteng A 2–0 Southern Free State

Pool B

KZN Inland 2–2 Northern Gauteng
Boland B 1–3 Boland A
KZN Coastal B 0–3 KZN Coastal A
Eastern Province A 5–1 Southern Gauteng B

Boland A, Southern Gauteng A, KZN Coastal A, and KZN Inland A, made their presence felt on Tuesday, day one of the u16 SASHOC National Week, being hosted at Hilton College.

Those four sides, who are among the favourites to win the tournament, delivered impressive hockey, scored goals for fun, and sent out a stern warning to their opponents in Pools A and B, respectively.

The defending champions, Boland, got their title defence off to winning start with a resounding 7-3 victory over Western Province B.

Led by coach Shaun McIntyre, Boland looked like a well-oiled machine on Hilton’s Mansergh AstroTurf.

It took them a while to get going, however. They opened the scoring in the 26th minute through dangerman Luke van der Merwe before Province B responded via a Max Fourie PC drag flick three minutes later.

Up 3-1 at halftime, Boland returned in the second stanza and ran away with the match. They netted four goals to Province’s two, and in the final chukka, added two more to complete the drubbing.

Speaking to SuperSport Schools Plus after the match, coach McIntyre said he was pleased.

“We are happy with the start. It’s a good result against a strong Western Province B side,” he reckoned.

“We knew, based on u18 IPTs, that B sides can cause upsets, so we just wanted to start strong and get the win in our first game.

“I’m really happy that our forwards are scoring. I back them going forward, and it’s an area I’m not worried about. Moving forward, we have a game plan, and we will just approach every game as it comes.”

KZN Coastal A, who are also in Pool A, made an incredible start to their campaign, too.

Coach Keegan Hezlett‘s troops put eight past Southern Free State A in their opener and are top of the pool, ahead of Boland on goal difference.

They got off to a blistering start against Free State and led 4-0 at the halfway point.

Early in the third chukka, captain Luc Boyall sealed his hat-trick, and another hattrick from Ryan Herselman, who, like Boyall, is from Northwood, accompanied by a Daniel Rea brace, sealed a high-scoring 8-4 victory.

Coach Hezlett was pleased with the win but said there are areas his team needs to focus on.

“I was very impressed with the boys today,” he said. “We had a disrupted start with the Astro freezing and being delayed for about 45 minutes. They managed to switch on well in the first chukka, and we scored three goals.

“I was upset with the two penalty corner goals we conceded off the second phase. That was disappointing, and the other goals that went in from poor defending.

“We will have a look at the video and work on our defensive angles of approach and taking care of our man in deep zones. We also want to look at our PC defence and rectify it.”

Pool B was all about Southern Gauteng A and KZN Inland A, who both made big statements on day one.

Southerns took on Northern Gauteng A in a provincial derby, and it was the boys in yellow who came out on top, winning 6-2.

Coach Siya Sityana leads the Gauteng boys, and they gave their mentor something to smile about.

“The first box for the tournament is ticked,” Sityana said after the match.

“It was important to get the W on the first day against Northerns, especially in our tough pool.

“We played good phases of hockey, scored lots of goals, and different players scored, which was nice. The vibe is also great in the team.”

Another side that enjoyed good vibes after day one was KZN Inland A.

Coached by Jason Syce, the home team took on their second-stringers, KZN Inland B, in their opener, and ran away with it, winning 6-0.

It was the perfect start for the home side, with Santiago Matross (2), Thibedi Mogoba (2), Greg Hosking, and Anthony Crossley scoring.

“I think we came in wanting to make sure we are intentional about our outcomes,” Syce said afterwards.

“We were disciplined in our shape, and we wanted to take care of the basics. Pass and move. Tournament hockey requires discipline in the shape and execution of outcomes.

“The B team were very good in their short corner defence and absorbed the attack well. The keyword for us was to be ‘intentional’ in every moment of attack and defence.”

KZN Inland A faces Southern Gauteng A in a highly anticipated Pool B match on day two. The Inland coach understands the challenge awaiting his side.

“Southern Gauteng will always be a tough outfit to come up against. With depth and talent, they pose a threat to most teams at IPT.

“Our goal is to ensure we play our brand of hockey – we become effective in our attack and value our discipline in defence.”

In other matches on Tuesday, Eastern Province A defeated Southern Gauteng B 4-1.

Western Province A, after being held to a shock 1-1 draw by KZN Coastal B, mustered a 4-1 victory against Southern Free State in their second match of the day.

Day 1 | Results and scorers

Pool A

KZN Coastal A 8: Luc Boyall (3), Ryan Herselman (3), Daniel Rea (2). Southern Free State A 4: Jean Griessel (2), Kaden Hendersen, Keagan Wessels.

Western Province A 1: Zach Hillman. KZN Coastal B 1: Aya Njenje.

Boland A 7: Luke van der Merwe (4), Christiaan Fouche (2), Caleb Cilliers. Western Province B 3: Troy Loots, Ephram Smith, Max Fourie.

Western Province A 4: Ross Wille, Buhle Kama, Callum Anderson, Loyiso Mletshe. Southern Free State A 1: Kamo Mohlomi.

Pool B

Southern Gauteng A 6: Matthew Jung (2), Blaine Candy, Kade Lottering, Tshimologo Mogale, Rofhi Mathabi. Northern Gauteng A 2: Luke Payne, Kean Cornelissen.

Eastern Province A 4: Dante Elkington (2), Luke Manson, James Chree. Southern Gauteng B 1: Endre Ludick.

KZN Inland A 6: Santiago Matross (2), Thibedi Mogoba (2), Greg Hosking, Anthony Crossley. KZN Inland B 0.

CLICK HERE TO SEE DAY 2 FIXTURES.

The Junior Springboks have called up utility back Alzeadon Felix as an injury replacement for Siya Ndlozi as they set their sights on their final pool match in the World Rugby U20 Championship on Wednesday afternoon against Scotland.

Ndlozi, who scored two tries in their pool opener against Australia, sustained a hamstring injury against England on Friday, which has ruled him out of the rest of the tournament.

Felix, who played for the SA Schools team in 2024, had a good FNB Varsity Cup campaign, and was part of the wider Junior Bok squad prior to their departure for Italy.

With one pool game to go before the semi-finals, the Junior Boks are fully aware of the huge threat posed by Scotland when they meet at the Stadio San Michele in Calvisano on Wednesday. Kick-off is at 15h30 and the match will be televised live on SuperSport Rugby.

With just five days between matches, and with two more games to come after Wednesday’s pool decider, both sides have made changes to their match squads.

The Junior Boks have picked a strong starting fifteen stacked with players who have already donned the green and gold jersey during their tour of Georgia, the U20 Rugby Championship, and warm-up games against Kenya. The bench includes several players who participated in the victories over Australia and England in Italy.

Meanwhile, Scotland have made nine changes to their starting line-up, meaning they will come at the Junior Boks with fresh legs and huge determination to challenge the South Africans from the outset.

Thando Biyela, who captained the Junior Boks against Georgia and will lead the side against Scotland, said he will be leaning on the experienced players around him during the game.

“It is a massive honour to be leading the Junior Springboks, but I have such experienced players around me, such as Vusi Moyo and Jaco Grobbelaar, and also Haashim Pead on the bench,” said Biyela.

“We will be looking to maintain our momentum, but the Scots are a big and physical unit so it’s going to be an exciting battle. For us, it will be about getting clarity on all the things we are doing and focusing on our set piece to set up a good attacking platform.”

Lumumba Currie, the Junior Springboks’ forward coach, echoed head coach Kevin Foote’s view that their performances thus far are the result of the squad’s hard work during their preparation back home in Stellenbosch.

“We went to Georgia, and one of the big areas we focused on was getting the set piece right,” said Currie.

“Then, to gain more experience, we trained against senior provincial players and against Kenya, so we took confidence from those camps leading up to the tournament. Our forwards have done well so far, but we did concede some penalties, so we have been working hard to eliminate our mistakes.

“As a South African team, we want to impose ourselves on the opposition, but we know Scotland are a good set-piece team with a big pack of forwards and good plans, so we must be prepared for them.”

Issued by SA Rugby Communication

Scorers: 

Western Province 80 (40) – Tries: Quintin Potgieter (2), Josh Neill, Markus Muller, Ethan van Biljon, Altus Rabe, Juvan Burden, Briint Davids, Ismaeel Conrad, Albert Lourens, Matthew van der Merwe, Achmat Behardien. Conversions: Van Biljon (5), Jayden Brits (3), Achmat Behardien (2). Boland 18 (6) – Try: Caleb Cornett, Amaan Adendorff. Conversion: Zion Rabie. Penalties: Rabie (2).

Sharks 41 (13) – Tries: Nathan Aneke (2), Alande Ngubane, Jadrian Afrikaner, Zekhe Siyaya, William Ridl. Conversions: Stefan Moolman (3), Siyaya. Penalty: Siyaya. Eastern Province 10 (3) – Try: Cole Hilpert. Conversions: Will Stevens. Penalty: Stevens.

Border 36 (17) – Tries: Jeffrey Niland, Bulumko Manqina, Ethan Schoeman, Zeake Mata, Liam Hansen, Robert John-Onsunkwo. Conversion: Bungqina Nuku (2), Ndimphiwe Songqaba. Griqualand West 17 (17) – Try: PJ Smit, Jonathan Harding. Conversions: Aidan Gadeija (2). Penalty: Gadeija.

Valke 29 (19) – Tries: Dihan Crause (2), Deshean Petersen, Tumi Moloi, Otlotleng Zulu. Conversions: Juan van Aswegen (2). Leopards 29 (12) – Tries: Winton Abrahams, Jaime Davids, KG Legodi, Fanie Linde, Tiaan Koen. Conversions: Brendin Mathyse (2).

When the Western Province squads for the 2025 SASHOC National Week were announced earlier this year, Milani Bekapi had mixed feelings.

The boy from Langa Township in Cape Town was disappointed because he hadn’t made the cut for the u18A team. He was, instead, selected for the u18B side for a second year running.

After representing the Western Province u18B team in 2024, he had set himself a goal of making the extraordinary u18A side in 2025.

That didn’t happen, but there was a silver lining. Instead of sulking, Bekapi relished the chance of donning his provincial colours again and immediately got down to work with his u18B teammates.

The Province B side, better known as Peninsula or Pens, arrived in Pietermaritzburg for the SASHOC National Week determined to make waves in Pool B.

Job done! They finished top of their pool, which secured them a semi-final showdown with Southern Gauteng A.

The boys from Johannesburg won that clash 3-1 and Northern Gauteng A then edged out Pens 2-1 in the bronze medal match.

Nonetheless, finishing fourth was a major achievement for the Western Province B side, and they were rewarded for that outstanding showing when three of their players, Hayden Stellenberg (Stellenberg High School), Aadam Thompson (SACS), and Bekapi (Langa Hockey Club), were included in the SA u18B side.

For Bekapi, the selection came as a shock. It’s news he’s still trying to process.

“I didn’t expect to be named in the team. I thought I would miss out again this year,” he told SuperSport Schools Plus.

“I think I played well in our first two games, but for the rest of the tournament, I felt like I was slacking, and that’s why I wasn’t positive.

“After I heard my name called out, I was shocked but also happy because all my hard work paid off.”

Bekapi, who is better known as “Kop” within his friendship group, attends Isilimela Secondary School and is in grade 11.

He plays for the Langa Hockey Club and recalls his earliest memories of picking up a stick.

“I started playing hockey when I was nine years old through a programme called Youth for Change.

“I was a goalkeeper at first but realised that’s not the position I wanted to play.

“I took a break from the sport for a year and played some cricket, but that also didn’t work out well for me, and then I returned to hockey, and I’ve been playing ever since.”

The 18-year-old also represented Province at u16 level. In 2022 and 2023, he was named in the u16B side.

He explained how hockey has helped him view the world differently: “The sport has impacted my life in so many ways,” he said. ““I have gone to some nice places because of hockey and have had some amazing experiences.

“I have experienced playing with different players at IPTs, different teams, and structures, and those are lessons I aim to bring back to my club.”

Bekapi’s message to the young children looking up to him is simple: “Anything is possible. Don’t let where you come from put you down. Keep on going, work hard and never give up.”

One of his goals is to represent South Africa at the Olympics one day.

However, for now, he hopes his performances at the IPT can get earn a sponsorship with a brand that will assist him with gear so he can perform at the highest level.

The SA u18A and u18B sides will assemble for a high-performance camp at Kearsney College from 9 to 12 October, and Bekapi will be there.