The No.10 blueprint: Moyo soaking up lessons from Springbok stars
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Every young South African rugby player dreams of one day pulling on the green and gold alongside their heroes.
For Vusi Moyo, that dream becomes reality this Saturday when the 20-year-old makes his first start for the Springboks against Wales at Kings Park.
Moyo is one of four debutants named in the starting XV for Saturday’s Nations Championship Round Three clash, capping a remarkable rise that has seen him go from schoolboy rugby to the international stage in just two years.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus believes Moyo has the attributes to succeed at Test levelhttps://t.co/xP1RoZzJTD
— Rugby365 (@rugby365com) July 13, 2026
It has been a whirlwind journey for the former King Edward VII (KES) standout, whose career has skyrocketed since matriculating in 2024.
Moyo played a key role in helping the Junior Springboks win the World Rugby U20 Championship in 2025, announcing himself as one of South Africa’s brightest young playmakers.
The flyhalf made his Sharks debut against Zebre in the United Rugby Championship in May before earning a call-up to the Springbok squad just weeks later.
Now, he faces the biggest challenge of his young career as he takes over the No.10 jersey in a Test match.
Fortunately for Moyo, he will have plenty of experience around him, including World Cup-winning scrumhalf Cobus Reinach.
“It’s very special to be around these guys who have won the World Cup twice. My first memory of Reinach is him scoring three tries against Canada in the 2019 World Cup,” Moyo told reporters.
“It’s every kid’s dream to be a part of the Springbok set-up.
“When Coach Rassie Erasmus named the squad on Monday, my heart skipped a beat, and it’s just very special.
“I just want to go out there and make my family and the people who support me proud.”
Moyo got his first taste of senior international rugby a few weeks ago when he came off the bench against the Barbarians at Nelson Mandela Stadium.
The flyhalf kicked the final conversion in the Springboks’ 80-31 victory and admitted the biggest adjustment at Test level is the speed of the game.
“I think the only thing about the Springboks set-up is that it’s much quicker. You have to make decisions a lot quicker.
“But rugby is rugby, and I’m very excited.
“If you have two-time world champions around you, then it’s easier for you to learn from them, and they help you implement those skills.”
Moyo grew up as a fervent supporter of the Springboks and Handre Pollard.
His admiration for Pollard, along with Manie Libbok and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, grew in leaps and bounds after training with them in recent weeks.
“Handre Pollard is probably the guy I’ve been looking up to my whole life.
“Manie Libbok as well. Since my high school career started, I think I’ve also been looking to shape my game around Manie.
“Obviously, these past few years, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu has been playing well.
“So I think all three of the guys who have been in the Springbok environment are the players I look up to.
“Handre and Manie have actually been helping me with my game this week. So it’s very special to know that I’ve got those guys helping me, and hopefully I can implement those skills going into the game this weekend.”
For Moyo, sharing a dressing room with the players he once admired from afar is still difficult to believe.
“All three are probably the best players in the world.
“So whatever they tell me to do, I’ll just do it because it’s every kid’s dream to meet their heroes.
“When I first met Handre, I had the biggest smile on my face.
“So yeah, I’m just very excited to have those guys helping me.
“And, like I said, they’re helping me implement those skills into my game this weekend.”
