South African sports fans will get another chance to celebrate their heroes when the Junior Springboks arrive back in the country with their trophy on Monday morning.
The Baby Boks outplayed the Junior All Blacks in Saturday’s World Rugby Under-20 Championship final in Rovigo, Italy, earning a well-deserved 23-15 win.
It was the second time South Africa has won the competition. The Baby Boks last lifted the trophy in 2012, with a squad featuring players who went on to represent the Springboks, like Handré Pollard, Steven Kitshoff, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Marvin Orie, Jan Serfontein, and others.
Speaking right after the final, skipper Norton expressed his delight at their victory, saying team unity and passionate defence combined to produce the amazing victory.
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“I’m quite emotional, but I’m just so proud,” Norton said. “The amount of work that we put in after not a great U20 Rugby Championship …
“Our backs were against the wall and we just came out and gave it everything. The group is unbelievable – the management, the coaches – we all pulled into a common idea. It wasn’t easy at times, but yes, this is the greatest day of my life.”
On Sunday, SA Rugby announced that Riley Norton and his world champions will land at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg at 10:35 on Monday morning. There will also be a press conference with SA Rugby president Mark Alexander.
In what has been a great year for our young stars, the Baby Boks’ impressive Under-20 World Championship win comes not long after South Africa’s junior national football team, Amajita, won the Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations.
In September, Amajita will be off to Chile to take part in the FIFA Under-20 World Cup.
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