The Junior Springboks etched their names into South African rugby history on Saturday night, defeating France 16-5 in the World Rugby under-20 championship final in Tbilisi to become the first South African age-grade side to retain the title.
Fly-half Yaqeen Ahmed orchestrated the victory with 11 points, slotting three penalties and a conversion as Kevin Foote's charges weathered a determined French challenge at the Mikheil Meskhi Stadium. The triumph follows last year's success against New Zealand and mirrors the senior Springboks' back-to-back Rugby World Cup victories in 2019 and 2023.
The final was delayed by 45 minutes due to inclement weather, forcing both sides to adapt to wet conditions throughout. Ahmed opened the scoring with an eighth-minute penalty after South Africa established set-piece dominance, then added a second on the stroke of half-time to give the Junior Boks a 6-0 interval lead. France had a Romeo Bonnard Martin try ruled out by the television match official before the break.
France fightback falls short
Les Bleuets struck early in the second half through flanker Raphael Audebert, who crossed six minutes after the restart to narrow the deficit to a single point. France threatened a second try moments later, only for timely South African defence on their own line to deny Baptiste Veschambre after the TMO had already chalked off another Bonnard Martin effort.
The Junior Boks weathered the storm and regained control when centre Markus Muller crashed over in the 67th minute. Ahmed's conversion extended the lead to eight points, proving decisive despite two further South African tries—by Cheswill Jooste and Ahmed himself—being disallowed in the closing stages. Ahmed sealed the victory with a penalty in the final moments.
The result secured South Africa's third under-20 world title, adding to the 2012 triumph over New Zealand. For France, who were chasing a fourth crown in the annual tournament, the defeat marked a second consecutive final loss. The Junior Boks' set-piece power and defensive resilience ultimately proved the difference in conditions that demanded discipline and composure.