The South African Rugby Union (SARU) announced what is believed to be a solid SA Under-18 Sevens squad for the Youth Commonwealth Games.
Grey College’s youngster with a magical boot, Curwin Bosch is among the 12 schoolboys who feature in the sevens team. Eight of these boys were part of the SA Schools team who came out of the Under-18 International Series unbeaten against their clashes with England, Wales and France.
SA U18 Sevens team manager, Marius Schoeman, said the goal of the Games is to place better than the previous tournament held in 2011 in the Isle of Man.
The SA team managed to make it to the finals against England’s under-18s, but fell short and took the silver. Former Springbok Sevens star and current coach of the successful SA Sevens Academy team, Paul Delport, has been called to coach the team.
“This group is the result of an identification process that started two years ago at the Under-16 Coca-Cola Grant Khomo Week. We have monitored their progress ever since, and they all came through a rigorous training camp hosted in April and last December,” said Schoeman.
Schoeman said he is confident that the team will work well together even though they won’t have much time together.
The squad will assemble in Johannesburg with the rest of the Team SA compilation for a three-day training camp from next Thursday, 28 to 30 August when they are set to travel to the Pacific island.
The games will take place in Apia, Samoa, from 9 to 11 September.
SA Sevens Under-18 team line-up for Youth Commonwealth Games:
1. Manie Libbok (SWD, Outeniqua)*
2. Embrose Papier (Blue Bulls, Garsfontein) *
3. Francois Agenbag (Free State, Grey College)
4. Curwin Bosch (Eastern Province, Grey College) *
5. Heino Bezuidenhout (Eastern Province, Daniel Pienaar) *
6. Stedman Gans (Blue Bulls, Waterkloof) *
7. Donovan du Randt (The Sharks, Glenwood)
8. Hacjivah Dayimane (Golden Lions, Jeppe)*
9. Johan Visser (Western Province, Paarl Gymnasium)*
10. Damian Willemse (Western Province, Paul Roos)*
11. JC Pretorius (Pumas, Middelburg)
12. Mfundu Ndlovu (Pumas, Standerton)
Management:
Manager: Marius Schoeman (SARU)
Coach: Paul Delport (SARU)
*Indicates representation in the SA Schools squad
