Junior Springbok squad for the World Rugby U20 Championship

Salmaan Moerat will lead a Junior Springbok squad featuring seven players who participated in the World Rugby U20 Championship last year, from 30 May to 17 June in the south of France.

Moerat, who established himself as a fine captain for the SA Schools team in 2016, will have the support of Damian Willemse, Wandisile Simelane, Muller Uys, Gianni Lombard, Rewan Kruger and Daniel Jooste, all of whom were members of the 2016 SA U20 squad that won the bronze medal in Georgia.

In total, 22 of the players in Junior Springbok coach Chean Roux’s 28-man squad also have junior international experience having represented the SA Schools or SA Schools A teams in the Under-18 International Series, while every player with the exception of lock Ruan Vermaak – who is recovering from a knee injury – featured in the warm-up matches against Georgia.

Junior Springbok squad for the World Rugby U20 Championship (in alphabetical order):

Zak Burger - Sharks, scrumhalf

Ben-Jason Dixon - Western Province, lock

Lubabalo Dobela - Free State, flyhalf

Muller du Plessis - Sharks, utility back

Schalk Erasmus - Western Province, hooker

Tyrone Green - Golden Lions, wing

Jack Hart – Golden Lions, scrumhalf

Lyle Hendricks - Western Province, centre

Daniel Jooste* - Western Province, Hooker

Cohen Kiewit - Golden Lions, prop

Rewan Kruger* - Free State, scrumhalf

Gianni Lombard* - Golden Lions, fullback

Nathan McBeth – Golden Lions, prop

Salmaan Moerat (capt)* - Western Province, lock

Sihle Njezula - Western Province, wing

Ruan Nortje - Blue Bulls, lock

Asenathi Ntlabakanye - Xerox Golden Lions, prop

Rikus Pretorius - DHL Western Province, Centre

Manuel Rass - Golden Lions, centre

Sazi Sandi - Western Province, Prop

Dian Schoonees - Golden Lions, looseforward

Wandisile Simelane* - Golden Lions, centre

PJ Steenkamp - Golden Lions, looseforward

Alulutho Tshakweni - Eastern Province, prop

Muller Uys* - Western Province, looseforward

Tiaan van der Merwe -  olden Lions, Prop

Ruan Vermaak - Golden Lions, lock

Damian Willemse* - Western Province, flyhalf

*denotes 2017 World Rugby U20 Championship player