Latest news with #Foote
The Citizen
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
'Johan will do well at Bulls' – Foote hails Ackermann's impact at U20s
Johan Ackermann's advisory role with the Junior Boks has come to a triumphant end, as he moves on to coaching the Bulls. Junior Springbok coach Kevin Foote believes incoming Bulls head coach Johan Ackermann will produce the goods and lead the team to new heights, after his successful stint with the national U20 team which ended in World Championship glory. The former Lions coach, who also coached in England and Japan over the past seven years, was brought into the Junior Bok setup late last year as a coaching consultant, lending his considerable experience to the junior side since. The South African Rugby Union was reportedly so impressed by Ackermann's work that they had already asked him to consider staying on, but the lure of coaching one of the country's top franchise teams was too much and he accepted the Bulls' offer. 'He's a brilliant coach' After the World Rugby U20 Championship final on Saturday, Foote was asked about the impact Ackermann had on the junior side's success, and he claimed that it was huge. 'I can't speak more highly about Johan Ackermann. He's a brilliant coach. He coaches so well technically, but he is also a cultural coach. He's so good for our environment, he knows when to smile, sometimes he's dancing, sometimes he's serious,' said Foote. 'He gets the balance right and I think the fitness and love he showed to our forward pack in particular and brought these guys up with Mushie (Junior Bok forwards coach Lumumba Currie) was fantastic. 'Johan is going to do very well at the Bulls. He's just a good person and good things happen to good people. So in my opinion Johan had a massive impact on our (successful) campaign.' Stepping up to senior level With the Junior Bok players having now arrived back in SA from the World Champs in Italy, it will be interesting to see how many of them will be able to make the step up into senior rugby going forward. With the Currie Cup kicking off it will be a great chance for some of them to get some good experience, and the Bulls have already announced that five Junior Boks – Siphosethu Mnebelele, Jaco Grobbelaar, JJ Theron, Cheswill Jooste and Demitre Erasmus – are in their squad for the competition. 'I actually think quite a lot of them could make the step up. Once you put these guys in the right environment they will flourish,' said Foote. 'Riley (Norton, Junior Bok captain) as a case in point, he finished school last year, he plays in the tight five and he now captains us. He is still going to be with us next year. 'So I believe this is such a talented group and in the right environment they will kick on. I think you are going to see a lot of these names going forward for South African rugby and in the URC.'
IOL News
4 days ago
- Sport
- IOL News
Junior Springbok coach Kevin Foote still in 'pinch me, wake me up' land after historic U20 triumph
The Junior Springboks and their coaching staff celebrate winning the World Rugby U20 Championship on Saturday in Italy. Image: Maurilio Boldrini / World Rugby Junior Springbok head coach Kevin Foote says he must still pinch himself at what the team achieved as they arrived back in South Africa with the World Rugby Under-20 Championship title. The Baby Boks defeated the Junior All Blacks 25-13 in the final on Saturday in Italy to claim a second title after years of coming close. Foote and his fellow coaches led the team to a first victory in 13 years. The coach said on Monday, as the team arrived back home, that the feeling of what they've achieved, still comes and goes, although it has not fully sunk in yet. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ 'Sometimes the feeling is you can't believe it, and then you settle down and come here and see the people. It is special,' Foote said. 'For now, it doesn't feel real. It feels like a dream. We didn't focus too much on not having won the tournament in a while, because that adds pressure. We had a tough pool and that was enough pressure. 'There was England, the defending champions, we had to beat. Australia beat us in the U20 Rugby Championship, and Scotland were three points behind England in the Six Nations U20. We wanted to ensure that our pool games went well. Cheering fans flocked to the airport to welcome home the triumphant #JuniorBoks on Monday, with Mr Mark Alexander saying: 'Many of them have the potential to go on to higher honours, I am sure' - more here: 🏆#JourneyToGreatness #WorldRugbyU20s — SA Junior Rugby (@SAJuniorRugby) July 21, 2025 'Our last message before that final to them was if you can be anything in the world, be yourself, and they played incredible rugby.' Foote said the Southern Hemisphere tournament prepped them well for what awaited in Italy. While they lost to teams like the Junior All Blacks and the Aussies in Gqeberha, it allowed them to experiment with team selections to fine-tune their best squad for the U20 Championship. Even when the Junior Boks kept changing their players for certain matches, the previous experience of playing together ensured they didn't lose continuity during the tournament. The Junior Bok coach is hopeful that his players can kick on from this major victory to make a name for themselves on the senior stage. Plenty of them will receive an opportunity during the upcoming Currie Cup for their respective franchises. The Junior Boks get their try ⚡ Haashim Pead spots the space and Jaco Williams finishes it off 💪💪#SSRugby | #WorldRugbyU20s — SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) July 19, 2025 Speedsters Cheswill Jooste and Demitre Erasmus are signed up for the Bulls, while Junior Bok captain Riley Norton and centre Gino Cupido could feature for Western Province somewhere in the next couple of weeks. 'My hope for these players now is that they stay in the fight. They all have dreams to play for the Springboks. But the reality is that there will be a lot of players who never get the opportunity. They also have dreams to play in the United Rugby Championship. 'They must just keep believing in what they have done. If they do that, there will be plenty of names you'll see in the future.'
The South African
4 days ago
- Sport
- The South African
Gayton McKenzie hails Junior Springboks' victory over New Zealand
Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie has extended his congratulations to the Junior Springboks following their historic triumph at the World Rugby U20 Championship in Italy. The young Boks clinched a nail-biting 23-15 victory over archrivals New Zealand in Rovigo on Saturday evening, earning South Africa its first U20 world title since 2012. The win saw the team return home unbeaten, with national pride running high. 'Congratulations to the World Champs! Rugby will be dominated by South Africa for decades still,' McKenzie said. The team arrived on home soil on Monday, landing at OR Tambo International Airport. South Africans showed up in their numbers to give the young champions a heroes' welcome. In a statement posted on the Springboks website on Sunday, Junior Springbok head coach Kevin Foote credited the victory to South Africa's trademark fighting spirit and the players' unwavering resolve, particularly in defence. 'Defence is all about character, and there were moments when New Zealand were right on our line, but we held firm. From a coach's perspective, you can't ask for more than that. It was a real South African defensive effort and gees (spirit) that won it for us today,' Foote said. Foote, who took the reins at the end of last year, described the squad as a 'special group of young rugby players', whose growth over the months had been 'incredibly special'. Captain Riley Norton praised his team's composure under pressure and their ability to adapt to the humid Italian conditions. 'The ball was so slippery, and your fundamentals had to be spot on in these conditions, which was tough. There were a few handling errors due to the incredible humidity, and our jerseys were absolutely drenched in sweat, but I think we handled the conditions well. This win is for everyone who supported us back home,' he said. The Junior Boks' win in Italy marks a proud moment in South African sport, echoing their 2012 title win over the same opposition at Newlands Stadium in Cape Town. After landing in Johannesburg, the players will return to their respective provincial unions, carrying with them not only gold medals but the hopes of a nation inspired by their success. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The Citizen
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
‘Incredibly special journey,' says coach Foote after U20 Championship triumph
The Junior Boks beat New Zealand in the final in Italy on Saturday night. The South African U20 rugby team hold the winner's trophy aloft after beating New Zealand in the World Rugby U20 Championship final in Rovigo on Saturday. Picture:Riley Norton and his all-conquering Junior Springboks will arrive back in South Africa mid-morning Monday as their country's newest heroes. The Junior Boks won their first world title in 13 years when they defeated their New Zealand counterparts at the World Rugby U20 Championship in Rovigo, Italy on Saturday evening. The win came just hours after the Springboks, currently two-time world champions, ended their midyear Test campaign with a comfortable victory against Georgia in Mbombela. They're next in action against Australia in the Rugby Championship. The Junior Boks, who beat Australia, England and Scotland in pool play in Italy and Argentina in the semi-finals, edged their biggest rivals 23-15 in the final. 'Gees won it for us' Coach Kevin Foote said his players' grit and spirt helped them get across the line. 'Defence is all about character, and there were moments when New Zealand were right on our line, but we held firm,' said Foote after the final. 'From a coach's perspective, you can't ask for more than that. It was a real South African defensive effort and gees (spirit) that won it for us.' Foote, who took over as Junior Boks head coach at the end of last year, also described his winning squad as a special group of young players. 'I love our country and the Springboks, and I love working with this age group,' he said. 'Win for everyone back home' 'To see these young men grow from training in December to what they've achieved now is amazing. Being on this journey with them has been incredibly special, and I'll never take it for granted.' Captain Norton, who led from the front, said: 'The ball was so slippery, and your fundamentals had to be spot on in these conditions, which was tough. There were a few handling errors due to the incredible humidity, and our jerseys were absolutely drenched in sweat, but I think we handled the conditions well. This win is for everyone who supported us back home.' The Junior Boks captain also credited their intense training in Stellenbosch for helping them adapt to the Italian summer heat. 'We actually adapted very well to the local conditions, even though it was winter when we left Stellenbosch,' said Norton. 'That's thanks to our conditioning and the fact that we're used to training in similar summer weather back home.'
The Star
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Star
Haashim Pead magic dust has been sprinkled on Junior Bok star Vusi Moyo: coach Foote
Junior Springbok head coach Kevin Foote feels playing next to star scrumhalf Haashim Pead has rubbed off positively on flyhalf sensation Vusi Moyo at the World Rugby U20 Championship in Italy. The SA U20 flyhalf has scored 50 points in the four games he has played to date, the most by any player of the 12 participating teams. He is once again expected to be key to the South African side's play when they face fierce New Zealand in the final on Saturday evening in Rovigo, in what promises to be a thrilling encounter between the two traditional rugby rivals. According to Foote, Moyo has had an unbelievable tournament. 'Vusi puts a lot into his training and has learnt a lot during his time playing next to Haashim, who's more experienced and played here last year,' said Foote. 'We saw what he did against England – kicking from over 50m. He'll take a lot of confidence into the final.' He was speaking from their Italian base of Valpolicella before of the much-anticipated clash. Grit and flair The Junior Boks have impressed throughout the tournament, with their semi-final victory over Argentina showcasing both attacking flair and defensive grit. Speaking to international media ahead of the big game, Foote praised the team's execution and resilience in their semi-final. 'Our strike plays were outstanding, and the defence was gutsy,' said Foote. 'New Zealand back their attack and they've grown in confidence as the tournament has progressed. Like us, they're passionate and composed – it's going to be a great game.' Skipper Riley Norton emphasised the team's belief and unity heading into the final: 'We've spoken a lot about backing ourselves. Pressure is always going to be there – it's been there throughout the tournament. 'But our confidence comes from our preparation. We haven't played in a final for 11 years, so this is a special moment. Each player truly cares for the team. It's less about pressure and more about excitement,' said Norton. Pead – the tournament's leading try scorer with six, plus a handful of try-assists – also credited the coaching staff for giving the backs the freedom to express themselves. 'Our tries have been a result of the platform laid by the coaches,' said the vice-captain. 'They've prepared us so well and given us the freedom to showcase our skills.' For Norton and Pead, the journey to the final has also been shaped by their experiences playing rugby at school level in South Africa – a fiercely competitive environment. 'It prepared us very well for a tournament like this,' said Norton, who captained Paul Roos Gymnasium in Stellenbosch last year. 'We're used to big games at school, and we've always enjoyed them. Playing in front of huge, passionate crowds back home has definitely helped us handle the pressure.' Pead, who attended Bishops in Cape Town, echoed the sentiment: 'It's great to be part of a game of this magnitude, but it doesn't mean we need to change our preparation or approach. We'll stick to our routine, trust our processes, and enjoy the occasion.' Pead, Norton and Moyo are part of an unchanged Junior Springbok line-up to face New Zealand in the final in Rovigo. Kickoff is at 8.30pm.
