Junior Springbok captain Rambo Kubheka will lead the SA U20s against Uruguay in their opening Pool A match of the Junior World Championship in Tbilisi, Georgia, on Saturday evening, with kick-off at 18h30 SA time.
Kubheka steps into the captaincy role with regular skipper Siphosethu Mnebelele named among five forwards on the replacement bench. For Kubheka, who was part of last year's title-winning squad in Italy, the appointment carries particular weight: "If someone had told me a year ago that I would be leading the team as captain in our first match, honestly, I would have thought that was a joke."
Despite arriving in Georgia as defending champions, Kubheka says the group's focus is firmly on building their own campaign. "We are not dwelling on past achievements. Everyone is very keen to start the tournament on a clean sheet."
Lock JD Hattingh, who starts in the front five, reflected on the significance of pulling on the green and gold: "It's a massive privilege. I've had this dream to wear the green and gold jersey since I was a school kid." Hattingh added that internal competition has driven the squad's preparation, but that collective purpose remains the priority.
Cheswill Jooste, another survivor from the 2024 title-winning group, is named on the bench after linking up with the squad following URC duties with the Bulls. The match will be broadcast live on SuperSport.