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Cricket South Africa (CSA) on Wednesday named the 15-man, Coca-Cola South Africa under-19s squad that will take on 2016 ICC U19 World Cup winners, West Indies in a five-match, Youth One-Day International (ODI) series from 09 to 19 July 2017 in Durban and Pietermaritzburg.

Raynard van Tonder, who was named as the new team captain, will have nine new caps to lead, including Thando Ntini, son of former Proteas fast bowler, Makhaya. The remaining six boast players who were part of the team that beat Sri Lanka in an ODI series in January of this year, including experienced campaigner Wandile Makwetu, who is the most capped player in the side, having made his debut at the 2016 World Cup in Bangladesh.

Coach, Lawrence Mahatlane is pleased with the team selected and believes that this series will do well to begin the team’s preparation for the 2018 U19 World Cup in New Zealand.

“Testing ourselves against the world champions is an ideal opportunity for us as a team to see where we are with the 2018 World Cup just around the corner. It is an exciting team with only six players having previously represented South Africa, this is a great opportunity for those selected to showcase their talent.”

CSA High Performance Manager, Vincent Barnes said; “With the ICC U19 World Cup only a few months away, the West Indies series is a very important series for our team. There have been a few changes to the squad that beat Sri Lanka earlier this year and the West Indies, who are the current World Cup champions will provide the required stiff opposition for the home side.”

South Africa will arrive in Durban on 28 June, while West Indies will arrive on the 30th.

Coca-Cola South Africa U19 team:

Raynard van Tonder (Free State), Matthew Breetzke (Eastern Province), Curtis Campher (Gauteng), Jesse Christensen (Western Province), Gerald Coetzee (Free State), Jade de Klerk (Eastern Province), Fraser Jones (KZN Inland), Wandile Makwetu (Gauteng), Andile Mokgakane (KZN Coastal), Kgaudise Molefe (Gauteng), Jacob Miltz (Gauteng), Thando Ntini (Western Province), Jiveshan Pillay (Northerns), Herman Rolfes (Northerns), Keenan Smith (Eastern Province).

After watching the Springbok Sevens secure the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series title with a victory in Paris on Sunday, Junior Springbok and Blitzboks strongman Zain Davids hoped that a similarly brave effort by the SA U20s could steer them to success in Georgia.

The Junior Springboks depart for the World Rugby U20 Championship in Tbilisi on 25 May where they will face France, Georgia and Argentina in the pool stages of the competition.

Davids, who is one of eight players in the 28-man squad who played in last year’s U20 Champs in Manchester, said he was looking forward to the challenge with a little over two weeks before their opening match, where they will be looking to make the country proud.

“As a young player it is an honour to have represented the Springbok Sevens team and to be part of the Junior Springbok team that will be participating in the World Rugby U20 Championship,” said Davids.

“The fact that the Blitzboks have already wrapped up the World Series title and the opportunity to play in the World Rugby U20 Championship for the second time has made this year and even more special and memorable.

“That said, we face a massive challenge now as the Junior Springboks, and I am looking forward to making new memories with this great bunch of guys. Our preparation for the tournament has been good and I believe that we can win the trophy if we play to our potential.”

The former Rondebosch Boys’ High School pupil, who scored three tries in last year’s U20 Championship, started playing rugby on the pavements of Swellendam as a young boy, and graduated through SA Rugby’s junior structures, where he advanced from the Coca-Cola U16 Grant Khomo Week and Coca-Cola U18 Craven Week to the SA Schools team and later the Junior Springboks and Springbok Sevens teams.

And while he gained invaluable experience and learned many lessons over the last few years, he believes he is now on the right track to reaching his desired fitness and skills levels.

“With fitness and conditioning being key aspects of Sevens rugby, I have paid a lot of attention those aspects in the last few months and with that comes mental strength,” said Davids.

“So hopefully I that will allow me to make a solid contribution to the team in Georgia.

“A few of us have played against teams such as France and Argentina before in the tournament and we have an idea of what to expect in the U20 Championship, and it will be important to share that knowledge with the other players, so that we can produce quality performances and deliver good results.”

Reflecting on his year so far, Davids admitted that being selected for two national teams still felt surreal, and said it was a dream come true. He is one of two members of the 2017 Blitzbok team who were selected for Chean Roux’s SA U20s, the other begin midfielder Stedman Gans.

“As a young child I always dreamed of playing for my country, so I am delighted that things worked out that way, especially at such a young age,” said the talented player.

“I certainly didn’t expect it to happen so soon. But I am grateful for every opportunity to wear the green and gold, and I plan to keep giving my best in every match I play.”

Issued by SA Rugby Communications

Die eerste rugbyspan van die Hoërskool Noord-Kaap het vir die tweede jaar op ‘n streep met die louere in sy FNB Classic Clash met Diamantveld weggestap. Northerns het op sy tuisveld, Pirates, vir Diamantveld met 26-19 geklop.

Die tuisspan se haastige vleuel Cameron Hufke was die grootste verskil tussen die twee spanne. Hufke het met sy vaart ‘n hele paar keer vir Diamantveld probleme besorg. Hy het ook twee keer die doellyn oorgesteek. Die span se bonkige, maar woelige loskopstut, Conrad “Spinnekop” van Aswegen, het voorlangs vir Diamonds probleme besorg. Hy het soos gewoontlik etlike meters veld met sy kraglopies gewen.

Diamantveld het na slegs tien minute se spel ‘n voorsprong van 14-0 opgebou. Diamonds se stut WS Coetzer asook die haker Marco van Straaten moes daarna tien minute in die koelkas deurbring. Dit het Diamonds se momemtum gebriek. Die twee spanne het met die telling op 14-elk gaan rus. Diamonds se heelagter, Ashwill Botha, het net na die afskop van die tweede helfte ook ‘n geelkaart ontvang.

Diamonds se flank Leonard Barnard was soos met Coetzer hul span se staatmakers. Die losskakel, Charles Williams, het nie ‘n goeie dag met sy skopskoen beleef nie. Hy het drie strafdoele asook ‘n doelskop skeef gekorrel. Hy het wel een van sy span se drie drieë afgerond.

Duineveld was oortuigend met 40-12 in die Klein Interjol oor die Hoërskool Upington baas. Dit was ‘n opwindende kragmeting waarin hardlooprugby geseëvier het. Die Velties het meeste van die balbesit geniet en ook daarin geslaag om die besit in punte om te skakel.

Dit was veral Velties se kaptein en vleuel, Sebastiaan Jobb, wat met ‘n paar stukkies individuele briljantheid vir Upington probleme besorg het. Hy het drie keer gaan druk, waarvan twee drieë te danke aan sy vaardighede en ongelooflike vaart was. Dan het hy ook op verdediging menigte aanval van Uppies in hul spore gestuit.

Vir Uppies het sy vaskopstut, Phillip Marais, losskakel Iwan Lombaard en agtsteman, Nakkie Duvenhage, goeie vertonings gelewer.

Buiten Jobb het die losskakel Chris Goosen, senter Henlu Liebenberg en heelagter, Cameron van Rhyn, goeie wedstryde agterlangs beleef. Voorlangs het die slotte Gideon Rossouw en Jovan Oosthuizen, agtsteman SJ Oberholzer, ingeklim. 

Die Leeus van die Hoërskool Kalahari het vir die derde agtereenvolgende jaar vir Kathu in hul jaarlikse interskole kaf gedraf. Kalahari was met 41-12 oor Kathu baas. 

Die Hoërskool Daniëlskuil se Delron Speelman het ‘n driekuns aan drieë in sy span se sege van 50-14 oor die Hoërskool Martin Oosthuizen van Kakamas behaal. 

Puntemakers: 

Noord-Kaap 26 (14): Drieë: Cameron Hufke (2), Conrad van Aswegen, Ramon Sauls. Doelskoppe: Hufke (3). Diamantveld 19 (14): Drieë: Timothy Harding, Charles Williams, Lambert Cronjé. Doelskoppe: Williams (2).

Duineveld 40: Drieë: Sebastiaan Jobb (3), Heini Muller, Cameron van Rhyn, Valdo Peters. Doelskoppe: Henlu Liebenberg (5). Hoërskool Upington 12

Hoërskool Kalahari 41: Drieë: Alrich Sterling (2), John-William van Heerden (2), Erik Kies, Ajay van Zyl, AJ Fourie. Doelskoppe: Louis du Plessis (3). Kathu 12.

Hoërskool Daniëlskuil 50: Drieë: Delron Speelman (3), Jacques Marthinus, Junaid Beukes, Vuyani Masego, Ayanda Mpungose, Justin Joubert. Doelskoppe: Quilon Morgan (5). Martin Oosthuizen (Kakamas) 14.

Paarl Boys’ High kept their spot on top of School of Rugby’s Rankings powered by Virseker and probably booked that position for the rest of the season by beating Grey College by 46-31 in Bloemfontein. Boishaai has finished on top of School of Rugby’s Rankings for the last two years. 

Grey College dropped one place to third after the defeat, their first of the season. Paarl Gimnasium, who’s only defeat was against Grey College, moves into second position. Grey will most likely finish above Gimmies on our rankings, but at the moment will have to be content with third place. 

Framesby of Port Elizabeth was the big movers of the week after securing a impressive 19-16 victory over Boland Landbou away from home. Framesby moved into the top ten for the first time since we’ve been running our rankings.

The match between King Edward VII and Affies was not taken into account as the game duration was only 26 minutes before the match was called off due to lightning strikes. 

Please note that we don’t take matches against international opposition into consideration in our rankings. These games will however still be recorded and shown in our results. This rankings is not an official ranking as there is no official ranking on schoolboy level and this is only to get the discussion on school rugby on South Africa flowing. We however take our responsibilty on reporting school rugby very seriously.

To see each team’s results so far this season click on their name in the rankings. If you see any results missing please don’t hesitate to contact Hannes Nienaber via e-mail on hannes@schooolofrugby.co.za – and please feel free to discuss and differ from us in the comments section.

The Rankings: 

Ná slegs vier rondes in die Griffon-liga is daar slegs een span, Welkom-Gimnasium, wat steeds met ‘n onoorwonne status kan spog. Gimmies is ook die verdedigende kampioen.

Die span van Welkom het Saterdag op sy tuisveld vir Voortrekker van Bethlehem met 36-19 verslaan. Dit was die Trekkers se eerste nederlaag in vanjaar se liga. Gimmies het teen rustyd ‘n voorsprong van 21-7 opgebou.

Die wenspan se heelagter, Andrew Kota, was weer op sy stukke en het 26 van sy span se punte aangeteken. Hy het twee van sy span se vier drieë gedruk, twee doelskoppe oorgeklits en ook met vier strafdoele geslaag.

Witteberg van Bethlehem het sy onoorwonne status ook prys gegee deur met 7-17 op ‘n nat en koue Saterdag teen die Afrikaanse Hoërskool Kroonstad die knie te buig. Rooiskool het met die omdraaislag op sy tuisveld in Kroonstad reeds met 17-0 voorgeloop.

Witteberg is saam met die Trekker en Gimmies die vroeë gunstelinge om vanjaar die trofee omhoog te hou. Daar is duidelik nie veel tussen die spanne in vanjaar se Griffon-liga te kies nie. Rooiskool wat die derde posisie op die puntelys beklee is gewis ook ‘n span om vanjaar dop te hou. 

Rooiskool se voorspelers Lihan Potgieter (slot), Valie Wiggens (haker) en Jannie Crous (loskopstut) het voorlangs die pap dik aangemaak. Agterlangs het die losskakel, Heinrich Boshoff, en die heelagter, Brendan van der Walt, uitstaande spel gelewer.

Wilgerivier van Frankfort het sy goeie spelpeil tot dusver voortgesit deur HTS Sasolburg met 57-7 kaf te draf. Die span het verlede week teen Rooiskool met 10-17 vasgeval, na hy vir Goudveld-Hoërskool met 26-20 verras het.

Goudveld se linkervleuel, Craig Colby, het ‘n driekuns aan drieë in sy span se oortuigende oorwinning van 57-11 oor HTS Welkom behaal. Gouties het teen lemoentyd ‘n voorsprong van 26-8 geniet.

Puntemakers:

Welkom-Gimnasium 36 (21): Drieë: Andrew Kota (2), JW Viljoen, Wian van Staden. Doelskoppe: Kota (2). Strafdoele: Kota (4). Voortrekker 19 (7): Drieë: Willie Naudé (2), AB Vermaak. Doelskoppe: Louis Viljoen (2).

Goudveld-Hoërskool 57 (26): Drieë: Craig Colby (3), Wikus Nieuwenhuis (2), Dante Barrett, Jacques Herbst, Evan Strydom, Triumph Baloyi. Doelskoppe: Lorenzo Cloete (6). HTS Welkom 11 (8).

AHS Kroonstad 17 (17): Drieë: PC van Rooyen, André Grant. Doelskoppe: Chappies van der Walt (2). Strafdoel: Van der Walt. Witteberg 7 (0): Drie: Barend Jonker. Strafdoel: Jonker.

HTS Sasolburg 7: Drie: James Mofokeng. Doelskop: Richard Mofokeng. Wilgerivier 57.

Puntestand: 

Vorige Uitslae: 

Ronde 1 

Welkom-Gimnasium 72, HTS Sasolburg 5 
Voortrekker 69, HTS Welkom 3
Witteberg 38, Hentie Cilliers 22
AHS Kroonstad 49, Goudveld 21

Ronde 2

Welkom-Gimnasium 27, AHS Kroonstad 20
Voortrekker 31, Hentie Cilliers 26
HTS Welkom 26, HTS Sasolburg 22
Wilgerivier 26, Goudveld 20

Ronde 3

Welkom-Gimnasium 60, Hentie Cilliers 12
Voortrekker 64, HTS Sasolburg 0
AHS Kroonstad 17, Wilgerivier 10
Witteberg 62, HTS Welkom 12