No 8 Jacobus de Villiers will captain the SA U18 side against France U18, while lock Martin van Niekerk has been handed the captaincy of the SA U18 A side for their game against Ireland when the 2026 U18 International Series kicks off at Hoërskool Durbanville on Friday.
The popular annual series will see South Africa’s two representative sides face their age-group counterparts from Ireland, France, England, and Georgia at three venues, with the opening round on 7 August hosted at Durbanville.
Boland Landbou will stage the second round on 11 August, and the final round, on 15 August, takes place at Hoërskool Stellenberg.
On Friday morning, the SA U18 A side opens the tournament against Ireland at 11:30. England faces Georgia at 13:30, and the SA U18 team takes on France at 15:30, for the Mehdi Narjissi Cup, in memory of the French player who tragically went missing off the coast at Cape Point in 2024.
The series forms a key part of SA Rugby‘s successful Elite Player Development (EPD) pathway, which provides the country’s leading schoolboy players with opportunities to test themselves against top international opposition.
The tournament is an important stepping-stone towards junior representative rugby and, ultimately, the higher levels of the South African rugby ecosystem.
The South African squads feature a total of 10 players, who were part of the SA U18 squads of last year. The SA U18 side will have the following players from last year in the match-23 against France on Friday: Juvan Burden (WP, lock), De Villiers (SWD, No 8), Mickyle Booise (WP, scrumhalf), Ethan van Biljon (WP, flyhalf), Ncuthu Kepe (Border, left wing), Erin Nelson (EP, outside centre), Lamla Mgedezi (Free State, fullback), and Thabiso Simelane (Blue Bulls, outside back).
Meanwhile, in the SA U18 A squad to face Ireland, Nathan Aneke (Sharks, outside centre) and Lucritia Magua (EP, right wing) will run out in the International Series for a second successive year.
De Villiers, who attends Oakdale and represented SWD at the FNB U18 Craven Week last month, is the younger brother of Springbok flank and former Junior Springbok captain, Paul.
The SA U18 side will again be coached by Lwazi Zanqa, assisted by Heinrich Martin, while Flash Malinga will guide the SA U18 A team, with Cobus van Dyk as his assistant. Both teams will share the services of defence coach Clinton van Rensburg.
The two South Africa coaches said their squads have prepared well, and they’re excited to test themselves against strong international opposition.
Zanqa said the experience of having players returning to both SA sides would be valuable as they aim to start the series strongly: “Our sessions have gone well in terms of our attack, defence, and unit work, and we are looking forward to seeing what these boys can do in our first games against France and Ireland,” he said.
Teams:
SA U18 team vs France
15 Lamla Mgedezi (Free State, Grey College)
14 Anesu Kuzonyei (Sharks, Northwood)
13 Erin Nelson (Eastern Province, Graeme College)
12 Tiaan Basson (vice-captain, Western Province, Paul Roos Gymnasium)
11 Ncuthu Kepe (Border, Queen’s College)
10 Ethan van Biljon (Western Province, Stellenberg)
9 Mickyle Booise (Western Province, Paarl Gimnasium)
8 Jacobus de Villiers (captain, SWD, Oakdale)
7 Jamie Wimble (Sharks, Northwood)
6 Stefan van der Vyver (Blue Bulls, Garsfontein)
5 Jean Dreyer (Western Province, Paarl Gimnasium)
4 Juvan Burden (Western Province, Stellenberg)
3 Nicolas Salamousas (Sharks, Michaelhouse)
2 Charles Whitehead (Western Province, Paarl Gimnasium)
1 Clement Makelele (Sharks, Kearsney College)
Replacements:
16 Theo Boshoff (Sharks, Maritzburg College)
17 Aphelele Chamane (Sharks, Michaelhouse)
18 Ruben Lombard (Blue Bulls, Garsfontein)
19 Glodi Tshipamba (Golden Lions, Jeppe)
20 Werner de Bruin (Western Province, Paul Roos Gymnasium)
21 Siphesihle Marule (Pumas, Uplands White River)
22 Luke Doyle (Eastern Province, Graeme College)
23 Achmat Behardien (Western Province, Wynberg)
24 Ethan Barker (Western Province, Paarl Gimnasium)
25 Thabiso Simelane (Blue Bulls, St Alban’s)
26 Luxolo Sonkonokono (Sharks, Westville)
SA U18 ‘A’ vs Ireland:
15 Rhandzu Mkhabela (Pumas, Nelspruit)
14 Lucritia Magua (Eastern Province, Graeme College)
13 Nathan Aneke (vice-captain, Sharks, Durban High School)
12 Amogelang Mataboge (Sharks, Durban High School)
11 Ruan Genis (Golden Lions, Monument)
10 Anthony Viljoen (Golden Lions, Monument)
9 Rufagon Hendricks (SWD, Outeniqua)
8 Niel du Randt (Free State, Grey College)
7 Werner de Bruin (Western Province, Paul Roos Gymnasium)
6 Linakho Mehlomakulu (Western Province, Rondebosch)
5 Martin van Niekerk (captain, Blue Bulls, Affies)
4 Bernhardt Schulze (Western Province, Paarl Gimnasium)
3 Priden Sibiya (Sharks, Durban High School)
2 Charl Els (Blue Bulls, Affies)
1 Max Malan (Western Province, Paarl Boys’ High)
Replacements:
16 Kwaza Gobingca (Western Province, Rondebosch)
17 Matthew Prins (SWD, Outeniqua)
18 Sebastiaan Bekker (Western Province, Paarl Gimnasium)
19 Bulelani Cebani (Sharks, Durban High School)
20 AD Faul (Western Province, Paarl Boys’ High)
21 Nala Shabangu (Sharks, Northwood)
22 Liam de Villiers (Western Province, Paarl Boys’ High)
23 Travis Pheiffer (Western Province, Paul Roos Gymnasium)
24 Alex Jankowich (Sharks, Michaelhouse)
25 Drewyn Baron (Blue Bulls, Garsfontein)
26 Thomas Saunders (Western Province, Paarl Gimnasium)
U18 International Series fixtures:
Friday, 7 August at Hoërskool Durbanville, Cape Town
11h30: SA U18 A vs Ireland U18
13h30: England U18 vs Georgia U18
15h30: SA U18 vs France U18
Tuesday, 11 August at Boland Landbou, Wellington
11h30: SA U18 A vs Georgia U18
13h30: England U18 vs France U18
15h30: SA U18 vs Ireland U18
Saturday, 15 August, at Stellenberg High School, Cape Town
11h30: SA U18 A vs France U18
13h30: Ireland U18 vs Georgia U18
15h30: SA U18 vs England U18
All matches will be streamed live on YouTube and broadcast by SuperSport.
Issued by SA Rugby Communications
