Following a brilliant 2025 schoolboy rugby season with several outstanding talents on show, it was no surprise that the rest of the world took notice of our stars.
It is, however, important to note that in Europe, scouts were looking for players who already had foreign passports, whereas Japan was becoming more aggressive with its scouting and was willing to wait for players to qualify for citizenship in their adopted country. Expect several stars to make the move to the East in the immediate future.
Leinster Rugby Academy has confirmed that Rondebosch Boys High captain Josh Neill has been added to the province’s Academy intake for the 2025/26 season and will join Leinster early in the new year. The Irish-qualified back rower played for the South Africa Under-18 team during last month’s Under-18 Men’s International Series.
Paarl Boishaai 1stXV twins Tristan and Jayden Joubert will join the Panasonic Wild Knights. Jayden represented the SA U18 team at lock while Jayden played at outside centre for Western Province at the U18 Craven Week hosted at Middelburg High in 2025.
Paarl Boys loose forward Gershom Peters is off to Italy after being snapped up by Benetton. Peters did not make any national schoolboy sides this year. Although Gershom was born and bred in Paarl, his move to Italy was made possible by his deep-rooted Italian heritage. His maternal grandmother, Antonella Wright of Paarl, along with all her siblings, was born in Italy. This ancestral connection has provided Gershom with an Italian passport, opening the door to his European rugby adventure.