Hooker Siphosethu Mnebelele has been appointed Junior Springbok captain ahead of the Junior World Championship in Georgia, with the squad touching down in Tbilisi on Tuesday following a long-haul flight from Cape Town via Istanbul.
Mnebelele's elevation came after Riley Norton and Vusi Moyo were called into the Springbok squad for the Nations Championship. Speaking at the official World Rugby captains' media conference on the day of arrival, Mnebelele acknowledged the standard set by his predecessors: "The way they carried themselves over the past two years has been a real motivating factor for me. I am close to both Riley and Vusi, and I have seen the hard work they've put in to get where they are."
"It is such an honour to be selected as captain of this talented group of players. I believe we have a strong leadership group, and that will be a tremendous help to me as team captain."
Mnebelele arrived in Georgia with senior experience already under his belt, having started for SA 'A' in their 40–0 win over Zimbabwe in Gqeberha last Saturday. Thomas Beling, Cheswill Jooste and Akahluwa Boqwana have also been confirmed in the touring group.
The squad went straight into recovery on arrival, using a nearby gym for a cycling session before returning to the field from Wednesday to complete their preparations. They open their Pool A campaign against Uruguay on Saturday at Avchala Stadium — a ground they will know from an earlier tour of Georgia this year, where they won both matches against the hosts.
Mnebelele was measured about the weeks ahead: "We expect every team to be competitive and to pose a real challenge. I believe we have prepared well over the past few weeks, and we are ready and excited for the tournament."
Following the media conference, the captains attended the customary forum at the historic Metekhi Church in Tbilisi.
Pool A fixtures: 27 June vs Uruguay; 2 July vs Georgia; 7 July vs Wales. Semi-finals: 12–13 July. Final and ranking play-offs: 17–18 July.