The Junior Springboks will kick off the inaugural Rugby Championship (TRC) Under-20 tournament with an exciting match against New Zealand on Thursday, 2 May at the Sunshine Coast Stadium, SANZAAR confirmed on Wednesday when it announced the draw for new competition.
Nhleko and his coaching staff have been busy with preparations for the U20 Rugby Championship and World Rugby U20 Championship with a series of alignment camps.
Recently, the team played a number of matches against senior provincial sides as part of the camps, to get the training group further aligned and battle-ready for the two international events.
According to head coach Bafana Nhleko, they are well on course with their preparation programme.
“We are demanding a lot from our group in terms of learning and application, and the players have responded well,” said Nhleko.
“They are aligning to the coaching, how we want to play, and what is required for them to perform at this level.
“Crucially for us, the U20 Rugby Championship will give us time to play against quality opposition, test the group combinations and help us identify the right guys before the final squad selection.
“The Championship will also help bridge the previous gap between the preparation period and the World Rugby U20 Championship. We are excited for this opportunity to play in Australia, which will be a great experience for the players and a fantastic opportunity for us to continue to grow as a group.”
All games will be staged at the Sunshine Coast Stadium.
Rugby Championship U20 schedule (SA kick-off times):
Thursday, 2 May
09h00: Junior Boks vs New Zealand
11h00: Australia vs Argentina
Tuesday, 7 May
09h00: New Zealand vs Argentina
11h00: Junior Boks vs Australia
Sunday, 12 May
05h30: Junior Boks vs Argentina
07h30: Australia vs New Zealand
