South Africa's U20s have successfully defended the Junior World Championship title, defeating France 16-5 in Tbilisi on Saturday to secure the country's third U20 world crown, following the titles of 2012 and 2025.
The Junior Boks led 6-0 at half-time before holding off a physical French challenge to claim their second consecutive championship, having won last year in Italy. The final was delayed by a lightning storm before kick-off, adding an additional test of composure for both squads.
Head coach Kevin Foote singled out his team's resilience and squad depth as decisive factors, noting that the replacements provided critical energy at key moments after the starting XV absorbed sustained French pressure.
"We knew France were big, physical and they just kept coming at us," said Foote. "We had to soak up a lot of pressure, but the story of this team has been that they never give up. We always felt that if we got our opportunity, we'd take it."
Captain Siphosethu Mnebelele, who was part of the 2025 title-winning squad, acknowledged the different character of this group compared to last year's side.
"This was a completely different team, different connections and a different journey," said Mnebelele. "One thing about this team is that we just keep grinding it out because of the care we have for each other. We talk about giving love on defence, giving love on attack, and doing it for the guy next to you and for the people back home in South Africa."
Mnebelele also addressed how the squad handled the weather delay, describing the group as highly adaptable under the unexpected disruption before eventually watching the closing stages from the sidelines.
The squad is scheduled to return to South Africa on Monday.