The Junior Springboks assembled in Gqeberha on Wednesday to begin their preparations for the Rugby Championship U20 and according to SA U20 coach Kevin Foote, they are happy to be in the Eastern Cape for the tournament, which kicks off next week at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
This SANZAAR tournament consists of three exciting double-headers on the three match days – 1, 6 and 11 May – and features the best young talent from South Africa, Australia, Argentina, and New Zealand.
Following the SA U20s’ early morning arrival at their hotel, the players underwent their mandatory medical check-ups before their recovery session.
After lunch they then had an afternoon field session on the outside field of the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
Reflecting on the first day of training, Foote coach expressed his satisfaction with the team's start in the Friendly City.
“When we arrived at the airport, having the dignitaries welcome us in such a warm and hospitable manner felt special and it’s a great honour,” said Foote.
“The marimba band playing with such great energy made it clear that people are very grateful to have rugby in the city at a national level.”
The Junior Bok coach highlighted the importance of clarity and alignment during the initial field session: “The big goal for us today was all about clarity and ensuring that the guys take what we learnt in those training camps (in Stellenbosch) and make sure that everybody's aligned. We're keeping things pretty simple, and we believe that our accountability piece will be important.”
According to Foote, the Junior Bok medical team have also played a crucial role in the preparations, ensuring that the players are fit and ready.
“The medical team have done a really good job, ensuring that the players are fit, and we’ve got 31 really keen players ready to go. Selection will be a challenge for us now, which is a good thing,” Foote said, emphasising the importance of maintaining clarity as they finalise preparation for the much-anticipated tournament.
“The main thing is making sure that the players are calm in their clarity so we can start to connect and establish that process into the championship.”
RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP U20 FIXTURES (Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium):
Thursday, 1 May
2pm: New Zealand v Australia
4:10pm: Junior Boks v Argentina
Tuesday, 6 May
2pm: New Zealand v Argentina
4:10pm: Junior Boks v Australia
Sunday, 11 May
2pm: Argentina v Australia
16h10: Junior Boks v New Zealand