Junior Boks leap back into action in U20 International Series
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The Junior Springboks will make a welcome return to the international stage for the first time since 2019 when they line up against Argentina, Georgia and Uruguay in a blockbuster four-round U20 International Series at the Markötter Stadium in Stellenbosch, starting next month.
The inclusion of Georgia in the tournament will mark a memorable occasion for the union as their junior and senior sides will be in the country, with the Springboks meeting Georgia in back-to-back Tests on the first two weekends of July.
The Junior Boks will begin their campaign against Uruguay on Friday, 18 June, and will line up against Argentina on Wednesday, 23 June, and Georgia on Monday, 28 June.
The other fixtures in the first three rounds of play will see Georgia being pitted against Argentina, Uruguay taking on Georgia, and Argentina battling it out with Uruguay respectively.
The teams will receive four log points for a win, two points for a draw, and a bonus point for scoring four tries or more or suffering a defeat by seven less points or less.
The series will culminate in a thrilling closing round with the top two ranked teams and bottom two sides respectively meeting on Saturday, 3 July.
Junior Springbok coach Bafana Nhleko will select his squad from the group of players who have been putting in the hard yards on the training field at the SA Rugby Academy since early April.
Georgia and Argentina are familiar foes of the Junior Springboks, with the sides having met in the 2019 and 2017 World Rugby U20 Championships in recent years, while Georgia also toured South Africa in 2018 for two warm-up games against the Junior Springboks.
Uruguay, meanwhile, will make their inaugural trip to South Africa to face the Junior Springboks.
U20 International Series fixtures:
Friday, 18 June
13h00 - Georgia vs Argentina
15h00 - Junior Springboks vs Uruguay
Wednesday, 23 June
13h00 - Uruguay vs Georgia
15h00 - Junior Springboks vs Argentina
Monday, 28 June
13h00 - Junior Springboks vs Georgia
15h00 - Uruguay vs Argentina
Saturday, 3 July
11h00 – Team 3 vs Team 4
13h00 – Team 1 vs Team 2