Three rugby players who attended Paarl Boys’ High school have been included in the Junior Bok squad that will take on Georgia this weekend. The players are HB Odendaal (hooker), Divan Fuller (loose forward) and Scott Nel (centre). All three played first team rugby for Boishaai in 2023.
The three have been included in the squad of 30 players will depart to Georgia on Sunday as the Junior Springboks kick off their 2025 season with a short tour, which features three matches and forms an integral part of the national u-20 group’s preparations for the forthcoming season.
The Junior Boks are set to play in the 2025 editions of the Sanzaar-organised u-20 Rugby Championship (April and May) and the World Rugby u-20 Championship (June and July).
The tour squad was selected from the ranks of the SA Rugby u-20 Academy training group, which took place in Stellenbosch.
The Junior Boks will play three matches during their two-week tour – a club fixture against Lelo Saracens (yesterday 19 February), which is followed by two internationals against their Georgian u-20 counterparts on 23 and 28 February, before they return to South Africa on 1 March.
In announcing the tour squad to Georgia, Junior Springbok coach Kevin Foote said: “We are very happy with where the squad is at moment and grateful for the hit out against Maties (last week) and training exercise against Ikeys earlier today. Following these two training games, it’s then a case of fine tuning our planning for Georgia.
“We looked at the squad and we are getting the balance right and are grateful that we could put such a talented group together.”
“There are still several players who haven’t been considered because they are either in the mix for their Vodacom URC franchises or the Blitzboks, or are out injured, but I think for now we are comfortable with the squad.”
Some of those players not available for selection include, amongst others, Jaco Williams, Gino Cupido and JC Mars (Paarl Gim).
Fixtures:
23 February: Junior Boks vs Georgia u-20; 28 February: Junior Boks vs Georgia u-20.
