Fifty-three of South Africa’s most talented Under-18 rugby players from across the country will assemble in Stellenbosch on Thursday February 27 for a four-day Elite Player Development (EPD) camp.

The camp – to be held at the Stellenbosch Academy of Sport and ends on Sunday March 1 – is the first of three EPD camps that will be hosted in 2020, 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 guide them with the goal of preparing them to advance through the structures in future.

The players will participate in a series of training sessions over the four days, working with a handful of coaches within the SA Rugby structures.

Players who have been invited to the SA Rugby U18 High Performance camp are:

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 (Vodacom 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 (Vodacom Blue Bulls, Affies), Hardus Rothman (Vodacom 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).

Need your company’s good news story told? Email us at hello@goodnewsdaily.co.za.