The Junior Springboks' 16-5 victory over France in Georgia last weekend — defending the World Rugby U20 Championship title they won against New Zealand in Italy twelve months ago — has drawn attention to the school rugby pipeline that produced this exceptional squad.
Grey College, Paul Roos Gimnasium, Paarl Boys' High, Paarl Gimnasium, Affies, Jeppe High School for Boys, Wynberg Boys' High, SACS, Maritzburg College, King Edward VII, Noordheuwel, Durban High School, Boland Landbou, Garsfontein, Charlie Hofmeyr and Northwood are among the schools represented across the squad — a roll call that spans the country's traditional rugby heartlands.
Back-to-back U20 world champions is a distinction this generation now shares with very few South African junior sides. The 2025 title ended a 13-year drought; this defence confirms the achievement was no anomaly.
On the domestic front, the King Price Derby Series opens on Saturday 1 August with three fixtures on the SuperSport Schools platform: King Edward VII vs Jeppe High School for Boys, Paarl Boys' High vs Paarl Gimnasium, and Hoërskool Stellenberg vs Hoërskool Durbanville.