The SA Under-19 Academy squad moved straight into high-intensity training when they kicked off their camp on Wednesday for their three-game European tour, which starts in a week’s time.
The 36-man squad assembled in Stellenbosch on Wednesday and completed their first day of training in sweltering conditions, with Junior Bok head coach Kevin Foote and his coaching staff putting the young men through their paces in a high-intensity session.
Thursday's cloud cover created cooler temperatures, but the players' squad continued with their training as the coaching staff took them through a couple of sessions – first in forward and back unit sessions, followed by a boardroom session before another high-tempo field training session. They completed the day’s training with their recovery in the Stellenbosch Academy of Sports pool and ice baths.
According to assistant coach Lumumba Currie, the coaching staff were delighted to get the young hopefuls in camp to finally kickstart their various technical and on-field training sessions.
“We did a lot of work in tracking and monitoring the players during the SA Rugby U19 and U21 competitions, and it was fantastic to have them assemble in Stellenbosch,” said Currie.
“We had our first training yesterday, and we will continue to focus on our game fundamentals and game model. What's nice for us is that we are getting players who are battle-ready, as they are joining us after the finals of our provincial age-group competitions.”
The SA U19 Academy squad leave for France next Wednesday. They will play two matches in Paris before heading to Cork in Ireland for their third and final tour game.
Currie reckons that the way the junior competitions are now structured helps the national cause: “They come here having completed very competitive provincial competitions, leaving us to concentrate on our systems and processes and instilling our game fundamentals, instead of maybe having to concentrate hard on conditioning.”
The Junior Springbok assistant coach added that it helps that the current squad boast several players who were either part of the SA U20 training group or helped the team clinch the coveted World Rugby U20 Championship a few months ago in Italy. He added that the provincial unions must get credit for how they prepared the players who have been called up to the U19 camp.
“It’s very comforting that we have some players here who were part of our success in Italy, while several others are returnees from our previous U20 training camps,” he said.
“So, in that sense, it helps a lot that they are now in our environment, know what's expected of them and have a thorough knowledge of our game model.”
Regarding the process of building cohesion in such a short period of time before the U19S fly out to France, Currie said: “That process is helped by the fact that we have several players who have the intimate knowledge of how our programme works.
“The fact that we have returnees from the U20 winning team means they can be central in the process to integrate the newcomers into the squad. They provide strong leadership in the group, which makes for easier squad integration.”
Players from the triumphant Junior Bok squad who are part of the U19 training squad are SA U20 captain Riley Norton (lock), Oliver Reid, Phiwayinkosi “Rambo” Kubheka (props), Siphosethu Mnebelele (hooker), and Vusi Moyo (flyhalf).
Also included in the squad are 17 players who represented the SA U18S in 2024, and nine who were picked for last year's SA U18 ‘A’-side, proving the prolific efficiency of the Elite Player Development (EPD) programme.
The U19 Academy programme is the frontrunner project towards the selection of the official Junior Bok squad, who will play in the U20 Rugby Championship before defending their world crown in Georgia next year.
None of this year’s SA Schools or SA U18 representatives were included in the U19 squad because of school exams, but they may be considered for the next camps.