Vodacom Blue Bulls players, Manie Libbok, Stedman Gans and Embrose Papier have been named in the SA Under-20 squad for the World Rugby U20 Championship in Tbilisi, Georgia and are amongst eight players from the chosen 28 who played in the same tournament last year. Junior Springbok coach Chean Roux has named Ernst van Rhyn as captain.
Van Rhyn, Curwin Bosch, Kwenzo Blose, Carlu Sadie and Zain Davids were the other members of the Junior Springbok team that finished fourth in the World Rugby U20 Championship in Manchester in 2016.
Gans have been with the Springbok Sevens squad for the last three months. Blue Bulls hooker, Johan Grobbelaar, has been named the vice-captain, with Hendre Stassen (lock), Gerhard Steenekamp (prop) and lock Ruben van Heerden the others.
Roux said they had to make a number of tough calls to narrow down the group to 28 players.”We are confident that we have selected a squad worthy of competing against the best teams in the world in Georgia. A number of the players have experienced international age-group rugby either in the World Rugby U20 Championship or the U19 International Series, while others have been exposed to International Sevens and Vodacom Super Rugby, which will be invaluable in Georgia,” said Roux.The Junior Springboks will face France, Georgia and Argentina in the pool stages of the international spectacle in Tbilisi, which runs from 31 May to 18 June. The team will depart for Georgia on Thursday, 25 May.
Kwenzo Blose* Toyota Free State Cheetahs Prop
Curwin Bosch* Cell C Sharks Flyhalf/Fullback
David Brits DHL Western Province Centre
Jean-Luc Cilliers Xerox Golden Lions Flyhalf
Zain Davids* DHL Western Province Loose forward
Francois de Villiers Cell C Sharks Scrumhalf
Stedman Gans* Vodacom Blue Bulls Centre
Johan Grobbelaar (vice-captain) Vodacom Blue Bulls Hooker
Wikus Groenewald DHL Western Province Prop
Daniel Jooste DHL Western Province Hooker
Rewan Kruger Toyota Free State Cheetahs Scrumhalf
Manie Libbok* Vodacom Blue Bulls Flyhalf/Fullback
Gianni Lombard Xerox Golden Lions Fullback
Len Massyn Xerox Golden Lions Loose forward
Lee-Marvin Mazibuko DHL Western Province Prop
Salmaan Moerat DHL Western Province Lock
Reinhard Nothnagel Xerox Golden Lions Lock
Embrose Papier* Vodacom Blue Bulls Scrumhalf
Yaw Penxe EP Kings Winger
Carlu Sadie* DHL Western Province Prop
Wandisile Simelane Xerox Golden Lions Centre/Wing
Hendre Stassen Vodacom Blue Bulls Lock
Gerhard Steenekamp Vodacom Blue Bulls Prop
Ruben van Heerden Vodacom Blue Bulls Lock
Damian Willemse DHL Western Province Flyhalf
Nama Xaba DHL Western Province Loose forward
Ernst van Rhyn* (captain) DHL Western Province Loose forward
*denotes 2016 World Rugby U20 Championship player