53 of South Africa’s most talented U18 rugby players from across the country will assemble in Stellenbosch for a four-day Elite Player Development (EPD) camp.
The camp – which will be hosted at the Stellenbosch Academy of Sport and concludes on Sunday, 1 March – is the first of three EPD camps this year, with U16 and U17 camps set to follow later in the season. These camps are in line with SA Rugby’s development structures.
The main objectives of the camps are to assess the players’ physical and technical abilities, and to guide them by preparing them to advance through the structures in future.
ALSO READ: Super Rugby Team of the Week (Round 3)
The players will participate in a series of training sessions over the four days, where they will have the opportunity to work with a handful of coaches within the SA Rugby structures.
Players invited to the SA Rugby U18 High Performance camp:
Props – Phatu Ganyane (Cell C Sharks, Glenwood), Sebastian Lombard (DHL Western Province, Paarl Boys High), Phillip Masango (DHL Western Province, Wynberg), Thansville Mayman (Vodacom Blue Bulls, Garsfontein), Tielman Niewoudt (Toyota Free State Cheetahs, Grey College), Heiko Pohlman (Xerox Golden Lions, Monnas), Friedrich Weilbach (DHL Western Province, Paul Roos Gymnasium), Phumelelo Xhego (Cell C Sharks, Westville).
Hookers – Keagan Blackenberg (DHL Western Province, Bishops), Ricardo Fourie (Toyota Free State Cheetahs, Grey College), Tiaan Lange (Vodacom Blue Bulls, Menlopark), Lukanyo Vokozela (DHL Western Province, Rondebosch).
Locks – Marco de Witt (DHL Western Province, Boland Landbou), Connor Evans (DHL Western Province, Bishops), Coetzee Le Roux (DHL Western Province, Paarl Boys High), Reinhardt Ludwig (Blue Bulls, Affies), Cornelius Rahl (SWD Eagles, Oakdale).
Loose forwards – Renzo du Plessis (Limpopo Blue Bulls, Ben Vorster), Phillip Kleynhans (SWD Eagles, Oakdale Landbou), Armand Maritz (DHL Western Province, Paul Roos Gymnasium), Gcinokuhle Mdletshe (Cell C Sharks, Westville), Rynhard Mouton (Xerox Golden Lions, Monument), Abulele Ndabambi (DHL Western Province, Paarl Boys High), Siyambuka Nongiza (Cell C Sharks, Maritzburg College), Willie Potgieter (Blue Bulls, Affies), Hardus Rothman (Blue Bulls, Garsfontein), Josh van Vreden (Border, Selborne College), Cornelius Volschenk (Toyota Free State Cheetahs, Grey College), Sisonke Vumazonke (Toyota Free State Cheetahs, Grey College).
Scrumhalves – Rowan Cloete (Vodacom Blue Bulls, Garsfontein), Neil Le Roux (SWD Eagles, Oakdale Landbou), Juan Olivier (Toyota Free State Cheetahs, Grey College), Nico Steyn (Cell C Sharks, Glenwood).
Flyhalves – Sihlalo Benge (Border, Queens), Sacha Mngomezulu (DHL Western Province, Bishops), Jean Smith (Toyota Free State Cheetahs, Grey College), Compion Von Ludiwg (DHL Western Province, Paarl Boys High).
Centres – Reagan Izaks (Toyota Free State Cheetahs, Grey College), Ethan James (DHL Western Province, Paarl Gymnasium), Josh Jonas (Border, Hudson Park), Mnqobi Mkhize (Cell C Sharks, Westville), Keagan Smith (DHL Western Province, Paarl Boys High), Sonwabo Sokoyi (Toyota Free State Cheetahs, Grey College), Brandon Wilkie (EP Kings, Framesby).
Outside backs – Luke Burger (DHL Western Province, Paul Roos Gymnasium), Diego Cupido (Xerox Golden Lions, Helpmekaar), Curwin Gertse (DHL Western Province, Paarl Gymnasium),Suleiman Hartzenberg (DHL Western Province, Bishops), Matthew Jacobs (DHL Western Province, Paarl Gymnasium), Franco Knoetze (Toyota Free State Cheetahs, Grey College), Duran Koevort (DHL Western Province, SACS), Hakeem Kunene (DHL Western Province, Paarl Boys High), Keanan Wentzel (DHL Western Province, Boland Landbou).
Photo: Carl Fourie/Gallo Images
