The Junior Springboks have clinched the 2025 World Rugby U20 Championship after beating New Zealand 23-15 in the final held in Rovigo, Italy.
The team displayed an exceptional performance beyond their age, with good defence, discipline and taking advantage of any scoring opportunity when it countered.
The Junior Boks last won the title in 2012, when they again beat the Kiwis 22-16, to cement their dominance at world cricket.
Saturday’s win is the seventh consecutive time in this tournament and the second time in a final against their southern hemisphere rivals.
The Junior Boks started the game on fire, and were in a comfortable lead at the break, leading the helpless Kiwis 13-5, who despite a spirited effort, never bothered the eventual champions.
Flanker Xola Nyali scored the first try of the team, which was duly converted by Vusi Moyo to put the team in the lead.
The Kiwis launched a spirited attack against Junior Boks, but its disciplined defence held out.
Jayden Sa however managed to sneak in a try following a lineout, to reduce the lead to two points.
Moyo stretched the Junior Boks the lead to 10-5 with a penalty goal, before the Kiwis’s prop Sika Pole was sent to the sin bin.
Despite pressing hard to make the numerical advantage count, the Junior Boks failed to increase their lead.
The Junior Springboks centre Albe Bester sin-binned for a dangerous ruck entry, before Moyo kicked another penalty to increase the lead to 13-5 at the break.
The boys from down under came out guns blazing in the first part of the second half, which resulted in a penalty by Flyhalf Rico Simpson, to reduce South Africa’s lead to 13-8 after 47 minutes.
But Moyo scored his second penalty goal that pushed the lead to 16-8, and three minutes later when fullback Gilermo Mentoe scored South Africa’s second try.
Despite the Kiwis retaliating to score a minute later, the writing was already on the wall, as the Junior Boks secured the championship.
At 23-8 it was game over and although New Zealand scored a minute later, the win was secured and the bogey finally buried.
The SA U20s join the reigning Rugby World Cup champions, the Springboks, and the Blitzboks at the top of the World Rugby competition podium.
