The Junior Springboks win back-to-back world titles
South Africa beat France 16-5 in Tbilisi to become only the fourth nation to win consecutive junior world titles.
Key points
- South Africa beat France 16-5 in the World Rugby U20 Championship final at Mikheil Meskhi Stadium in Tbilisi, Georgia, on 18 July 2026.
- It was their third junior world title and second in a row, making them only the fourth nation to win consecutive titles, after New Zealand, England and France.
- Fly-half Yaqeen Ahmed kicked 11 points and centre Markus Muller scored the decisive late try; the team is captained by Siphosethu Mnebelele.
South Africa's Junior Springboks are world champions again. They beat France 16-5 in the final of the World Rugby U20 Championship at the Mikheil Meskhi Stadium in Tbilisi, Georgia, on 18 July 2026.
Back to back
It was South Africa's third junior world title and their second in a row. That makes them only the fourth nation to win consecutive titles, after New Zealand, England and France.
How the final was won
It was a final built on defence. Fly-half Yaqeen Ahmed kicked 11 points, and centre Markus Muller scored the late try that sealed the win. The team was captained by Siphosethu Mnebelele and coached by Kevin Foote.
The Junior Springboks also won the SANZAAR U20 Rugby Championship earlier in the year, in Gqeberha.
Why it matters
Junior success is a strong sign for the future of South African rugby. Many of these players could be pushing for places in a senior side that has just beaten the All Blacks 3-1.
Sources
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