SA U20 Trialists Announced
Five players who represented the Baby Boks during last year’s IRB Junior World Championships in Argentina have been included in the 39-man group for SA Under-20 trials next week.
Fullback Jaco Taute, winger Wandile Mjekevu, centre Francois Venter, scrumhalf Lohan Jacobs and No 8 Siya Kolisi were all named in new coach Dawie Theron’s first training group that will assemble in Cape Town on Monday along with rising talent on South African Rugby Union’s High Performance programmes
Taute and Mjekevu will be absent on Vodacom Super Rugby duty with the Lions but the remainder will be put through a series of trial games in preparation for the 2011 IRB Junior World Championship which takes place in Italy in June.
“A lot of effort at SARU will be directed at ensuring that our Under-20s receive the necessary support in the build up to these World Championships in Italy later this year,” said SARU CEO Jurie Roux.
“We could have players from these trials that will go on to represent the Baby Boks this year and ultimately go on all the way and represent the Springboks in the future. Patrick Lambie and Elton Jantjies, who earned their Under-20 colours last year, are two examples which gives us hope that a pathway is there within our structures.”
Lambie won four Test caps for the Springboks while Jantjies represented the Boks in the game against the Barbarians.
Also included in the group are SA Schools captain Pieter Rademan (2009), Vodacom Western Province U19 skipper Ricky Schroeder, and lock Ruan Venter and centre Paul Jordaan who both competed in SARU’s High Performance programme last year.
Other players such as Ulrich Beyers (fullback), Piet Lindeque (centre), Arno Botha (No 8), Nizaam Carr (flank), Eben Etzebeth (lock) and Juan Schoeman (prop) excelled in last year’s Absa Under-19 and Under-21 competitions.
“Dawie has spent most of his time as our new SA Under-20 head coach familiarising himself with the playing resources we have in South Africa,” said Mervin Green, SARU Manager – Playing the Game.
“The camp will hopefully give him further insight and allow him to gauge where we are in terms of our rugby preparation.
“Last year, our SA Under-20 training squads competed in three friendlies against French Invitational teams in preparation of the World Champs in Argentina, as part of SARU’s strategic plan to ensure that our junior players gain international exposure against the world’s top teams.
“We will once again be aiming to arrange international fixtures for this group of players during the next couple of months.”
SARU recently tested 43 Under-20 hopefuls where their physical conditioning was captured. The Medical team also conducted fitness tests which included bleep, conditioning and weight-lifting tests. The data captured from this testing will be used to monitor the physical and conditioning of players.
SA Under-20 Trials and Training Squad
| Fullbacks | |
| Jaco Taute | Golden Lions |
| Ulrich Beyers | Vodacom Blue Bulls |
| Wings | |
| Wandile Mjekevu | Golden Lions |
| Courtnall Skosana | Vodacom Blue Bulls |
| Emil Schwarz | The Sharks |
| Mandla Dube | The Sharks |
| Centres | |
| Francois Venter | Vodacom Blue Bulls |
| Paul Jordaan | The Sharks |
| Piet Lindeque | The Sharks |
| Heimar Williams | The Sharks |
| Andries Swanepoel | Free State |
| Jan Serfontein | Free State |
| Jacobus Lourens | Platinum Leopards |
| Flyhalves | |
| Garth April | Golden Lions |
| Tony Jantjies | Vodacom Blue Bulls |
| Scrumhalves | |
| Ricky Schroeder | DHL WP |
| Lohan Jacobs | Vodacom Blue Bulls |
| Pieter Rademan | Free State |
| Loose forwards | |
| Arno Botha | The Sharks |
| Marcell Coetzee | The Sharks |
| Siseko Jafta | The Sharks |
| Cornell du Preez | Platinum Leopards |
| Gabriel Strydom | Platinum Leopards |
| Siya Kolisi | DHL Western Province |
| Nizaam Carr | DHL Western Province |
| Jean Cook | Free State |
| Locks | |
| Eben Etzebeth | DHL Western Province |
| Wilhelm van der Slys | DHL Western Province |
| Ruan Venter | Golden Lions |
| Jose Julies | Vodacom Blue Bulls |
| Hookers | |
| Mbongeni Mbonambi | Vodacom Blue Bulls |
| Bernard Van Heerden | Free State |
| Bonga Ntubeni | DHL Western Province |
| Props | |
| Juan Schoeman | Vodacom Blue Bulls |
| Stephan Kotze | Free State |
| Wiseman Kamanga | Lions |
| Frans Malherbe | DHL Western Province |
| Nicholas Schonert | The Sharks |
| Moshudu Masela | Platinum Leopards |
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