JUNIOR Springboks will have home ground advantage this year as they look to go one step better in the Rugby Championship Under-20 next month in Gqeberha.
This will be the second edition of the SANZAAR tournament, and it will provide a perfect springboard for the southern hemisphere nations with the World Rugby U20 Championship taking place in Italy in July.
On Wednesday SA Rugby announced that the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium will host the best young rugby stars from South Africa, New Zealand, Argentina, and Australia, with double-headers taking place on May 1, 6 and 11.
Staying sharp behind the lens. Good practice today as the Junior Springboks played a game against a young Blue Bulls team at Markötter. Captured a few good tries, like this one… pic.twitter.com/eDqE4Sx5ZD
— Thys LoMBArd 🇿🇦 (@ThysLombard) April 5, 2025
In the inaugural SANZAAR Rugby Champs U20 held in Queensland, Australia last year, Junior Boks finished second behind New Zealand, after the two sides drew in the first round.
Improved performances will be expected also from Argentina and Australia, who had it tough last year.
Exciting news! The @SanzarTRC U20 tournament will take place at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha next month - more here: https://t.co/Pm2N3qcx3X 💥#JuniorBoks #JourneytoGreatness pic.twitter.com/SxSB2fhLuB
— SA Junior Rugby (@SAJuniorRugby) April 16, 2025
The Gqeberha tournament will follow the same format as Queensland’s, with all teams playing each other once in a three-match round robin across three match days.
Junior Springbok head coach Kevin Foote will be looking to make use of that home advantage.
“We are absolutely thrilled that the U20 Rugby Championship will be hosted on home soil this year,” said Foote.
“It’s a rare and special opportunity for the Junior Boks to play in front of our passionate home fans here in South Africa and this tournament is crucial for our preparations ahead of the World Rugby U20 Championship in Italy.
“We look forward to testing ourselves against the best young rugby players in the southern hemisphere and we hope the Eastern Cape fans will come out in numbers to support us.”
Exciting news! The @SanzarTRC U20 tournament will take place at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha next month - more here: https://t.co/Pm2N3qcx3X 💥#JuniorBoks #JourneytoGreatness pic.twitter.com/SxSB2fhLuB
— SA Junior Rugby (@SAJuniorRugby) April 16, 2025
SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer believes the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropole will be an excellent host for the second edition of the tournament.
“We are thrilled to bring this tournament to Gqeberha, a city with a rich rugby culture and a passionate fan base and we are very grateful for the assistance from the Eastern Cape government in this regard,” said Oberholzer in an SA Rugby statement.
“The Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium offers top-class team facilities and an exceptional viewing experience for fans, making it the perfect venue for this event.
“The enthusiastic support will undoubtedly create a memorable experience for everyone involved. Together with the Friendly City, we are looking forward to welcoming and hosting the best U20s from the southern hemisphere in the Eastern Cape.”
The MEC for Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture, Ms Sibulele Ngongo added:
“This is a landmark moment for the Home of Legends as the Junior Springboks will be playing for the first time in history in the Eastern Cape Province.”
SANZAAR CEO Brendan Morris said:
“Following the success of the inaugural tournament in Queensland, Australia in 2024 SANZAAR is pleased to announce that the U20 Championship will head to South Africa this year.
“Last year the title went down to the last round and we witnessed some very competitive and absorbing rugby.
“This important Championship will not only provide a vital pathway for up-and-coming rugby talent through exposure to essential international competition but will also provide development opportunities for the next generation of coaches, team management and match officials.”
Tickets are priced at R20 per person and will be available at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium ticket office or online from Webtickets. Broadcast information will be announced in due course.
Fixtures:
Thursday, May 1:
2pm - New Zealand v Australia & 4.10pm - Junior Boks v Argentina.
Tuesday, May 6:
2pm - New Zealand v Argentina & 4.10pm - Junior Boks v Australia.
Sunday, May 11:
2pm - Argentina v Australia & 4.10pm - Junior Boks v New Zealand.