Where are they now? – South Africa 2012 Junior World Championship
When South Africa kick off their latest Junior World Championship campaign at home to Georgia in Stellenbosch on June 24, it will be two days after the 11th anniversary of their 2012 22-16 final win over New Zealand in Cape Town – the last time the tournament was held in that country.
A crowd of 33,210 turned up at Newlands to see an age-grade South African side inspired by a then 18-year-old Handre Pollard end the four-year grip that the New Zealanders had on the title.
There were tries from scrum-half Vian van der Watt and centre Jan Serfontein to go with the dozen points kicked by their out-half, who was one of three starting players that seven years later would help the Springboks to win the Rugby World Cup in Japan.
Four more of the class of 2012 were capped at different times by the Springboks while three other players have enjoyed Test careers with rival countries, namely Paul Willemse with France.
The lock was red-carded for the Junior Boks in the final along with Baby Blacks loosehead Ofa Tu’ungafasi after hair tugging was met with a retaliatory punch. Here is what became of the South Africa matchday 23:
15. Dillyn Leyds
The full-back moved to Australia to make his Super Rugby breakthrough, playing for Western Force, before a 2016 switch to the Stormers led to 10 Springboks caps. Moved to France four years later where he is now a double Heineken Champions Cup winner with La Rochelle. Spoke insightfully with RugbyPass about his career a few days after beating Leinster in the 2022 final.
14. Raymond Rhule
Incredible to think the winger is all these years later plying his trade alongside full-back Leyds in the back-to-back cup-winning La Rochelle team. The Free State Cheetahs was his route into the pro ranks, numerous Super Rugby campaigns and a PRO14 season with them getting followed by a year at the Stormers. Seven Springboks caps were gained in 2017 before he headed to France where two years at Grenoble led to his 2020 switch to La Rochelle.
13. Kobus van Wyk
It was 2014 at the Stormers when the midfielder made his Super Rugby breakthrough, going on to also play for the Sharks in that tournament. Away from South Africa, he has been employed in New Zealand (Hurricanes), France (Bordeaux), England (Leicester) and now in Italy (Zebre Parma).
12. Jan Serfontein
Having made the Bulls Super Rugby team in 2013, he embarked on a 35-cap Test career with the Springboks that included playing off the bench at the 2015 Rugby World Cup. It was 2017 when he finished up in Pretoria, moving to Montpellier where he has just ended his sixth season. Was a Top 14 champion in 2022.
11. Tshotsho Mbovane
Was already a Blitzbok cap when making this Junior Boks team – despite getting stabbed some months before the tournament. He returned to sevens after the title success, but his career was upset by the resignation of coach Paul Treu. Some Currie Cup action did materialise, but it didn’t work out in XVs and, without a contract, he played grassroots before switching to sevens coaching at the International Rugby Institute in Pretoria. Set up a foundation in Langa in 2021 to create opportunities for township youngsters.
10. Handre Pollard
One of the three age-grade champions who won the Rugby World Cup with the Springboks in 2019. Five Super Rugby years at the Bulls – which also had a Top League pitstop in Osaka in 2015 – were followed by a post-Japan 2019 switch to Montpellier, with whom he won the title in 2022 along with Serfontein. Now in England with Leicester, he is poised to add to his 65 Test caps and be a key part of the Springboks at his third Rugby World Cup.
9. Vian van der Watt
While Pollard has enjoyed a golden career, his age-grade half-back wasn’t as fortunate. On exiting the Vodacom Cup Lions, he played Currie Cup at the Leopards, Eastern Province and Boland before calling time on his career in 2018. Now works as an insurance company financial advisor in Johannesburg.
1. Steven Kitshoff
Skipper in the Stormers’ URC final defeat to Munster last weekend, the 71-cap Springboks loosehead, who came off the bench in the 2019 Rugby World Cup final, is off to Ulster after the upcoming finals in France. The prop had already made a Super Rugby breakthrough at the Stormers before his 2011 international age-grade success and bar two seasons at Bordeaux, his entire club career has been spent in Cape Town.
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2. Mark Pretorius
Another from the Golden Lions stable whose career never really took off. He made two Super Rugby appearances off the bench but was last noted playing Currie Cup for the Pumas in 2017/18.
3. Maks van Dyk
Enjoyed a Super Rugby emergence at the 2014 Cheetahs, igniting a transient career where he has been at Griquas, Leinster, Toulouse, Harlequins, Worcester and – for the last three seasons – Pau. Has made only limited starts during his European adventure but has become the epitome of a squad player in carving out a lengthy career.
4. Paul Willemse
The one who got away on the Springboks. Made a Super Rugby debut at the Lions in 2012 before becoming a Bulls regular. Some 2014/15 Top 14 action with Grenoble resulted in a move to Montpellier where he has just finished his eighth season, winning the title in 2022 – the same year he started in all five games for Fabien Galthie’s Grand Slam-winning France. Debuted at Test level in February 2019 and is now an integral pack member with 28 caps.
5. Ruan Botha
Had played Super Rugby with the Lions before winning this age-grade World Cup. Further campaigns followed at the Sharks and Stormers before he headed to Japan where his five seasons at Kubota Spears culminated last month in a first league title. Also had a six-month pre-pandemic pitstop at London Irish.
6. Wian Liebenberg
Another Bulls regular who decided to try his luck in France with Montpellier. There was also a brief stint at Grenoble, but it was at La Rochelle where he properly thrived, retiring last year before his 30th birthday as a Heineken Champions Cup winner.
7. Pieter-Steph du Toit
The third member of the age-grade world champion XV that went on to star in the Springboks’ 2019 Rugby World Cup win. He is now poised to add his 66 caps in the coming months as he is still a regular under Jacques Nienaber. Club-wise, he had multiple Super Rugby campaigns with the Sharks and Stormers but has spent the last two seasons in Japan with Toyota Verblitz.
8. Fabian Booysen
There were two Super Rugby appearances with the Lions in 2016 after a Currie Cup title the previous year, but that was the height of his career post his age-grade success with South Africa. Now works as a new business sales manager in Jo’burg for an international courier.
Jersey presentation done. Big moment for #TravisIsmaiel@WeBuyCars_SA @ASICS_ZA #BlitzIgnite pic.twitter.com/kx3Bhhx1ai
— Springbok Sevens (@Blitzboks) February 25, 2023
Replacements:
16. Franco Marais
The sub hooker learned his trade at the Sharks before switching to Johan Ackermann’s Gloucester in 2018/19. Has two seasons in England before relocating to Japan where he played for Oaska and now Urayasu.
17. Allan Dell
The second of the three South Africans who played Test level with a different country. It was 2014 when the loosehead joined Edinburgh from the Currie Cup ranks at the Sharks, playing five seasons before spending three more at London Irish. Played for Glasgow in 2022/23 but hasn’t made the Scotland training squad for the upcoming Rugby World Cup. Has 34 Test caps, debuting in 2016 and infamously became one of the British and Irish Lions’ ‘Geography Six’ the following year in New Zealand.
18. Braam Steyn
Soon left the Sharks age-grade set-up to take up an offer in Italy and his time at Mogliano, Calvisano and Zebre led to a move to 2015/16 move to Benetton where he is still an integral part of their URC team. First capped by Italy in 2016, he faced the Springboks at the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Has 50 caps, his last awarded over a year ago.
19. Shaun Adendorff
The back-rower went down the sevens route before returning to the XV scene, playing for Boland before a couple of seasons on the Super Rugby fringes with the Bulls resulted in a switch to Aurillac in the Pro D2. Also spent some time in England with Northampton before hooking up with Nevers back in the French second tier these past two years.
20. Abrie Griesel
Another whose career in the pro ranks didn’t catch fire. He did his ACL soon after finals, but there were games for Cheetahs, Griquas and Pumas before things fully fizzled out. The scrum-half also had a few matches for Munster when Rassie Erasmus was their boss as he was playing locally in the All-Ireland League at the time.
21. Tony Jantjies
It wasn’t until 2017 that the sub out-half finally made his Super Rugby debut at the Bulls but he couldn’t make it stick and was seen playing in the Spanish league for Alcobendas a few years later.
22. Travis Ismaiel
Spent his career in South Africa at the Bulls before giving Harlequins in England a shot in 2019/20 a year after he won his only Springboks cap. The winger returned to the Bulls but retired in early 2021 due to chronic shoulder issues. Remarkably came back to play sevens, though, and was capped by the Blitzboks this year, featuring as recently as a fortnight ago at the London 7s.
23. Oli Kebble
Another with a recent outing in London, the prop playing last weekend for Steve Hansen’s World XV against the Barbarians. He made a 2014 Super Rugby debut for the Stormers before joining Glasgow in 2017. Debuted for Scotland three years later and has 12 caps but wasn’t named in their World Cup training squad.
Comments on RugbyPass
Should've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
28 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
90 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to comments