Africa-Press – South-Africa. The rugby rivalry between South Africa and New Zealand will enter another chapter on Saturday when they clash in the 2025 World Rugby U-20 Championship final at Stadio Mario Battaglini in Rovigo, Italy.
The Junior Boks qualified for their first world U-20 final since 2014 when they beat Argentina 48-24 in Monday’s semifinal in Viadana. The Baby Blacks defeated France 34-26 earlier in the day at the same venue.
South Africa coach Kevin Foote spoke of the significance of the occasion on Saturday, highlighting the rivalry and rugby culture shared by both nations.
“Every child in South Africa and every child in New Zealand who has ever picked up a rugby ball dreams of this occasion,” Foote said after his team’s hard-fought victory over Argentina.
“It’s a special moment and they [New Zealand] are a special side. A final between these two teams is fantastic for rugby.”
Junior Boks captain Riley Norton said the final will provide the “ultimate test” for his side.
“You don’t need any extra motivation for a final such as this,” he said. “As coach Kevin said, you dream of a match like this — facing the haka on Saturday; the history and tradition of rugby between South Africa and New Zealand is unbelievable.
“We love playing each other and have great respect for one another. It’s going to be an 80-minute battle. We’re excited for Saturday and I know the guys are up for it.”
Foote emphasised that the Junior Boks remain focused on growth and continuous improvement.
“We’ll keep improving and the thing is we’ve played some awesome rugby in this tournament. I couldn’t be prouder of this group.
“I told them in the change room [after the Argentina victory] how proud I am — to be on this journey with them is special. They are absolute warriors and remain humble.”
Foote also credited the U-20 Rugby Championship, held in Gqeberha in May, as a crucial part of their preparation for the world champs.
“Some of the northern hemisphere teams have more than 2,000 minutes of game time per calendar year for their younger players.
“We want to get as much high-quality game time as possible with our players. The reality is in the Rugby Championship, we were building towards the World Rugby U-20 Championship, using it to build synergy and combinations and so we’re grateful for that tournament.”
The Junior Boks enjoyed a non-training day on Tuesday to recover from their energy-sapping semifinal and resumed preparations on Wednesday at their base in Valpolicella outside Verona.
Saturday’s final (8.30pm SA time) marks the first time the two sides meet in a World Rugby U-20 Championship decider since South Africa’s memorable 22-16 victory over New Zealand in the sold-out 2012 final at Newlands in Cape Town.
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