Foote credits growth, grit for U20 Rugby Championship success

The Junior Springboks clinched the 2026 Under-20 Rugby Championship in emphatic fashion on Sunday evening, overpowering Australia U20 56-17 at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha to seal the title with a game to spare, a performance head coach Kevin Foote credited to the squad’s growth, grit and collective belief.

“There was a huge improvement,” said Foote. “I think the whole squad showed what it means to play for South Africa. We showed grit and I’m super proud of everyone.”

He credited captain Riley Norton and the leadership group for setting the tone throughout the week and maintaining focus during a pressure match: “Our preparation was excellent and the leadership from Riley and the senior guys was really good,” Foote explained.

“From how we felt a year ago on this same night, there was a lot of motivation going into this game.”

While physical dominance remains a hallmark of Junior Bok rugby, Foote believes this group has developed a more complete and connected identity, thanks to the time they have played together since the beginning of the year.

“Our DNA is physicality but it’s also skill,” he said. “You see the physicality in breakdown and how we want to play. This team plays with pride.”

Meanwhile the SA U20 coach also praised the impact of his replacements after challenging the bench to raise their standards following the previous match, where they faded against Argentina after a storming 50 minutes.

“By their own admission, they wanted to fix last week and I thought they did that today. Our discipline has also been excellent - we haven’t had a card in this competition yet, which is massive.”

Once again, the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium proved an ideal stage, with an enthusiastic home crowd of 9 576 driving the Junior Boks forward.

The Junior Bok mentor described the stadium atmosphere as amazing. “The noise, the entertainment, the support - it’s brilliant. Every visiting team has said what a pleasure it is to play in Gqeberha,” reckons Foote.

Meanwhile Norton echoed those sentiments, placing emphasis on character, connection and shared responsibility within the group.

“For us it’s about character and care. The off-field connection has been unbelievable and that carries onto the field. We’ve got an awesome group of guys who are willing to sacrifice for each other,” said Norton, while adding that home support brings an extra emotional edge: “It means a lot playing at home. You feel the crowd and it pushes you to give more for the guy next to you.”

Despite having already secured the championship, Norton was quick to stress that standards will not drop ahead of their final fixture against New Zealand U20 and cautioned his team to prepare well for the final encounter next week.

“If you take your foot off the gas, a team like New Zealand will punish you. We want to finish this tournament properly and keep improving.”

Score

SA 56 (28), Australia 17 (12)

SA - Tries: Jack Benade, Wasi Vyambwera, Ethan Adams, Luke Cannon, Hendré Schoeman, Yaqeen Ahmed, Penalty Tries (2). Conversions: Yaqeen Ahmed (4), Vusi Moyo (2)

Australia - Tries: Finn Mackay, Riley Whitfeld, Taione Taka. Conversion: Finn Mackay.

Fixtures

Saturday

2pm: Argentina v Australia; 4.10pm: Junior Boks v New Zealand