Junior Boks end 13-year wait for World Rugby U20 Championship title
South Africa have been crowned World Rugby U20 Championship winners for the first time in over a decade after a well-earned 23-15 win against New Zealand in Rovigo. Junior Springboks captain Riley Norton described the triumph as “the greatest day of my life.”
The South Africans applied pressure from the kickoff, forcing New Zealand to clear into touch deep inside their 22. Known throughout the tournament for their slick backline play, the Junior Boks demonstrated they could dominate up front too. Xola Nyali opened the scoring with a try from a powerful driving maul.
South Africa followed up with a resilient defensive stand, holding off relentless New Zealand phases. However, a penalty eventually gave the Junior All Blacks a chance, and they capitalized with a clever lineout move that saw Jayden Sa cross in the corner.
Both sides delivered fierce defensive efforts, with space and time on the ball hard to come by. Vusi Moyo’s penalty put South Africa ahead, and they looked set to extend the lead after Mosese Bason’s red card. Moyo added another penalty to extend the lead to 13-5.
Just before halftime, the referee showed a yellow card to South Africa’s Albertus Bester, evening the numbers. The score remained tight as the teams went into the break.
Second half
New Zealand started the second half aggressively but were limited to a single penalty kick from Rico Simpson thanks to South Africa’s continued defensive grit. With the score at 13-8, the match remained delicately balanced.
South Africa began to gain the upper hand in the scrums, and another Moyo penalty stretched the lead to 16-8. Shortly after, Hassiem Pead appeared to score a crucial try from a dominant scrum, but the referee disallowed it. A subsequent penalty gave Moyo another chance, but he missed for the first time that night.
New Zealand’s discipline faltered again, losing a second player to the sin bin, and South Africa took control in open play. Pead, a standout performer throughout the tournament, produced a moment of brilliance — an inch-perfect kick into the corner that was finished off by Gilermo Mentoe. Moyo converted from the touchline to make it a three-score game at 23-8.
New Zealand managed a late consolation try through Maloni Kunawave, but it wasn’t enough. Their quest for a first U20 title since 2014 will continue for at least another year, while South Africa celebrate a long-awaited return to the top of world junior rugby.
For all your Rugby, sports betting tips visit www.bettingcodes.co.za
It’s always good to have a punt on the rugby, so make sure you visit www.bettingcodes.co.za, S.A’s most trusted sports betting and casino site.
Share your sports betting results with us. Goodluck!
