Latest news with #WorldRugbyUnder20Championship
Eyewitness News
21-07-2025
- Sport
- Eyewitness News
Victorious Junior Springbok team set to arrive in SA
JOHANNESBURG - The victorious Junior Springbok team is set to arrive in the country on Monday morning. The team made history on Saturday when they ended a 13-year wait to win the World Rugby Under 20 Championship by beating New Zealand. A small but sizeable crowd is waiting at the arrivals' terminal to welcome home a new generation of South African stars, who've made their mark on the world stage. Led by captain Riley Norton, they became just the second Junior Springbok team to win the tournament after Wiaan Liebenberg's side did the same in Cape Town in 2012. The Junior Bok team that year featured future World Cup-winning Springbok stars Steven Kitshoff, Pieter-Steph du Toit, and Handré Pollard. What will become of the class of 2025 remains to be seen, but plenty will be expected of the likes of Norton, Hashim Pead and Vusi Moyo, who made a name for themselves in 2025. The crowd gathered here has been in high spirits and full of song as they wait for Norton and his teammates to emerge with the coveted trophy in their possession. SA Rugby will host a press conference shortly where Norton, coach Kevin Foote, and SA president Mark Alexander will address the media.
TimesLIVE
21-07-2025
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Junior Boks return to South Africa as U-20 world champs
The South African Under-20 rugby team arrives back in the country on Monday. They beat six-time champions New Zealand in Italy on Saturday evening to win their World Rugby Under 20 Championship for the first time since 2012, breaking a 13-year drought. South Africa's men now hold the world championship titles at senior and junior level, as well as in the sevens format.
The Hindu
20-07-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Multi-sport talent Riley Norton leads South Africa to glory in World U-20 Rugby Championship after representing Proteas in U-19 Cricket World Cup
The 19-year-old dual-sport talent Riley Norton led the Junior Springboks to the World Rugby Under 20 Championship title on Saturday as South Africa defeated six-time champion New Zealand 23-15 to end a 13-year-drought. This was South Africa's second title, with the first one coming back in 2012. At the helm of the Junior Sprinboks' campaign was captain Norton, who represented South Africa at the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup last year. Norton played five matches in South Africa's run to the semifinals, where it lost to India. In that tournament, Norton scored 50 runs with the bat, while also picking 11 wickets with his right-arm medium pace. Despite his promising cricket career, Norton recently pivoted to focus more on rugby, a sport where he has excelled. Following in the footsteps of his father, Chris Norton, who played for Maties Rugby from 1991 to 2003, Riley joined Maties Rugby this year while pursuing a B. Com Investment Management degree at Stellenbosch University. His leadership prowess has been particularly evident in the 2025 World Rugby U20 Championship. As captain of the Junior Springboks, Norton guided his team through dominant performances, securing victories against Australia (73-17), defending champion England (32-22), and Scotland (73-14) in the group stage. His team then triumphed over Argentina 48-24 in the semifinal, before beating the Baby Blacks in the summit clash. 'I'm quite emotional, but I'm just so proud,' Norton was quoted as saying by SA Rugby Magazine. '... We had to show up physically. That's our DNA. That's where we South Africans get our passion and our energy from. The set-phase, the maul, the scrum, the hits – the guys did that for 80 minutes and that's where we get our DNA from. Of course (Vusi) Moyo with his unbelievable boot always putting us on the front foot and kicking those penalties, it's just unbelievable. 'The amount of support we received from South Africa, videos from our mates, people sending us messages and just backing us was just unbelievable. I'm so proud to be South African and we couldn't have done it without our fans back at home cheering us on every step of the way,' he added. Norton's story is an inspiring testament to elite talent knowing no boundaries, and his future in South African sport looks incredibly bright. Related Topics ICC Under-19 World Cup
The Citizen
20-07-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Junior Boks, champions of the world
Saturday marked the Junior Boks' first appearance in the final since 2014 and it is a repeat of the 2012 final in which South Africa beat six-time champions New Zealand at Newlands. Demitre Erasmus of South Africa in action during the Final of the U20 World Championship between New Zealand and South Africa at Stadio Mario Battaglini on July 19, 2025 in Rovigo, Italy. Picture:. The Junior Springboks have won the World Rugby Under 20 Championship in Rovigo, Italy after a tense, bruising battle with arch-rivals New Zealand. Tries from flanker Xola Nyali and fullback Gilermo Mentoe, along with 13 points from the boot of flyhalf Vusi Moyo, secured the Junior Boks a 23-15 win and a first Under 20 Championship triumph since 2012. The Junior Boks opened the scoring in just the third minute through Nyali. The Baby Blacks hit back with a try of their own 12 minutes later, courtesy of lock Jayden Sa. The clash had a real final feel, with the South Africans not wasting an opportunity to take the points on offer. Moyo popped over two penalties to ensure South Africa went into the sheds with a 13-5 lead. Both teams had a player sent off in the first half. New Zealand lost loosehead prop Sika Pole to a 20-minute red card for a shoulder charge on JJ Theron, while the Junior Boks had to go without centre Albie Bester for ten minutes after a no-arms clear out at the ruck. Tight contest The second half was equally tight, with flyhalves Rico Simpson and Moyo exchanging penalties. A crucial moment in the match came in the 62nd minute, when tournament top try-scorer Haashim Pead was denied a seventh of the championship after the TMO ruled an infringement at the scrum enabled Pead to score. Mentoe's late try was followed almost immediately by the Junior All Blacks' first and only try by wing Maloni Kunawave. But it proved too little, too late as South Africa held on to take the honours in Italy. Saturday marked the Junior Boks' first appearance in the final since 2014 and it is a repeat of the 2012 final in which South Africa beat six-time champions New Zealand at Newlands. The Junior Boks were in rampant form throughout the championship in Italy, posting comprehensive wins over Australia, defending champions England and Scotland in the pool stage, followed by victory over Argentina in the semi-finals. This story was first published on It is republished here with permission.
