Dylan Bettencourt
The Springbok senior team is in good shape; they have taken South Africa to three Rugby World Cup titles and their demanding supporters expect them to win every time they play.
But what does the future of Springbok rugby look like?
If the U20 Six Nations Summer Series is anything to go by, the future generation is set to maintain the winning tradition.
The Baby Boks dominated in their 47-27 final victory over Wales on Tuesday in Treviso, Italy as they powered to a dominant win in the series.
The team, with head coach Bafana Nhleko, ended the tournament unbeaten in what captain Sacha Mngomezulu described as a dream come true.
“The boys worked extremely hard, and they deserve this. Credit must also go to the coaches who made us work hard and put in such a great effort for us to be ready for the challenge,” said Mngomezulu.
“It’s an amazing feeling standing here unbeaten after four games. Not too long ago, most of us didn’t even play rugby, so credit to World Rugby and the Six Nations for staging this excellent tournament. They allowed the boys to create life-long memories.”
While Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber has plenty of young options for the starting lineup following a hugely successful United Rugby Championship – these youngsters have staked their claim to be the ones to watch.
It may be some time before we begin seeing some of the U20 players wearing the famous Springbok jersey but there is no doubt that the future of the Springboks is in safe hands.
While change is not always successful at the first attempt, there will come a time when it is necessary and the stars of the Junior Springbok team are clearly ready to grab their chances with both hands.
Image source: @JuniorSpringboks
