Junior Boks usher in new faces for Stellenbosch camp

NEWS: Junior Springbok head coach Kevin Foote has stressed the need for mental sharpness and solid technical grounding as he assembles a 42-man training squad in Stellenbosch on Wednesday, January 21, with many last year’s SA Under-18 standouts included in the camp.

The camp marks a major step in the SA U20s’ campaign for 2026, with the squad featuring a strategic mix of battle-hardened regulars and exciting talent graduating from the successful SA U18’s, while 13 players who toured France and Ireland towards the end of last year with the SA U19’s will return to Stellenbosch.

According to Foote, a significant focus of the selection process was managing the workload of the younger contingent. The Junior Bok coach said that several players were not selected for the European tour last November to allow them to recover from a taxing year that included Grade 12 exams, their school programmes, the U18 Craven Week and the U18 International Series.

“Bringing them in fresh is a big positive for us – they are training hard with the unions and we’re expecting them to do really well,” said Foote.

“I believe it isn’t a lack of talent for us; it’s about making sure we get the foundation of the culture and the environment right for these young men to excel.”

The new players invited to the camp include Kai Pratt and JG Badenhorst (props), AJ Meyer (lock), Mumbere “Wasi” Vyambwera and Gert Kemp (loose forwards), Yaqeen Ahmed (flyhalf), Markus Miller and Ethan Adams (centres), as well as speedy Zekhethelo Siyaya (fullback).

While the squad has been bolstered by last year’s U18 stars, there is also a return to some familiar players, such as last year’s Junior Bok captain Riley Norton, as well as his fellow 2025 Junior World Championship winners Oliver Reid, Rambo Kubheka, Siphosethu Mnebelele, and Alzeadon Felix.

Flyhalf Vusi Moyo, another member of last year’s successful Junior Bok side, has not made the squad as he is busy with rehabilitation following a minor hip operation to ensure he is ready for the forthcoming international season.

Wing Cheswill Jooste is another 2025 Junior Bok stalwart who remains firmly in the selection mix but will instead continue his duties with the Vodacom Bulls in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship, while utility back Luan Giliomee is currently part of the Springbok Sevens programme.

Foote explained the forthcoming camp will serve as a high-intensity training and technical preparation block, with a focus on sharpening the traditional Junior Bok DNA elements – set-piece dominance, kicking game, solid defence, and attacking flair, in addition to getting grips with their game model.

“We go pretty hard at our DNA, and we want to make sure we put a good set-piece platform together,” said Foote. “The focus is also on game management – understanding which parts of the field we want to play and maintaining a high tempo.”

The squad will undertake a short tour of three matches in Georgia, leaving on February 15 and returning on February 28. In preparation for the tour, the camp schedule includes training matches against the FNB Varsity Cup sides UCT and Maties.

“These sessions are vital preparation for a challenging tour to Georgia, where the squad will face extreme conditions, including training and playing in temperatures below freezing,” said Foote.

“The Georgian tour will test us about the conditions and the culture, but it’s a great opportunity to focus on what we can control. We want to focus on our team combinations, understanding our culture, and creating those moments together that you can reflect on when hard times come.”

Junior Bok squad for Stellenbosch training camp:

Forwards (25):

Props:  Oliver Reid (Western Province), Phiwayinkosi “Rambo” Kubheka (Sharks), Kai Pratt (Sharks), Sibabalwe Booi (Cheetahs), Ruan Smuts (Cheetahs), JG Badenhorst (Cheetahs), Danie Kruger (Western Province).

Hookers: Siphosethu Mnebelele (Bulls), Liam van Wyk (Sharks), Mahle Sithole (Lions).

Locks: Heinrich Theron (Bulls), JP Lombaard (Bulls), James Schnetler (Lions), Riley Norton (Western Province), JD Hattingh (Lions), AJ Meyer (Western Province).

Loose forwards: Kebotile Maake (Bulls), Alutha Wesi (Western Province), Luke Canon (Lions), Franko Rossouw (Bulls), Risima Khosa (Lions), Mumbere “Wasi” Vyambwera (Sharks), Vuyo Gwiji (Lions), Gert Kemp (Western Province), Reuben Kruger (Western Province).

Backs (16):

Scrumhalves: Matthew Fick (Bulls), Hendré Schoeman (Bulls), Denilo Jordaan (Durban Varsity College).

Flyhalf: Yaqeen Ahmed (Western Province), Alzeadon Felix (Lions).

Centres: Pieter van der Merwe (Bulls), Christian Vorster (Bulls), Ethan Adams (Lions), Samuel Badenhorst (Western Province), Markus Muller (Western Province).

Outside backs: Dylan Miller (Western Province), Jordan Steenkamp (Western Province), Lindsey Jansen (Lions), Khuthadzo Rasivhaga (Sharks), Zekhethelo Siyaya (Sharks), Reinhardt Viljoen ( Lions), Aidan Bester (Saldanha RFC).