De Villiers and Van Niekerk to Lead SA U18 Teams

Jacobus de Villiers and Martin van Niekerk have been appointed as captains for the South African Under-18 rugby teams as the 2026 U18 International Series is set to commence this Friday. De Villiers will captain the SA U18 side in their match against France U18, while Van Niekerk will lead the SA U18 ‘A’ side in their opener against Ireland, both at HS Durbanville.

The series, a fixture in the rugby calendar, includes matches against age-group teams from Ireland, France, England, and Georgia across three venues. The first round will take place on August 7 in Durbanville, followed by the second round on August 11 at Boland Landbou in Wellington, and the final round on August 15 at Stellenberg High School in Cape Town.

The tournament’s initial matches will feature the SA U18 ‘A’ team squaring off against Ireland at 11:30, followed by England facing Georgia at 13:30, and the SA U18 side taking on France at 15:30 for the Mehdi Narjissi Cup, which commemorates the French player who went missing in 2024.

This annual series serves as a vital opportunity for South Africa's top schoolboy players to compete at an international level and is considered an essential step on the pathway to junior representative rugby and beyond.

Both squads include ten players who have previously participated in the SA U18 teams. The match-23 for the SA U18 against France on Friday includes Juvan Burden (lock), De Villiers (No 8), Mickyle Booise (scrumhalf), Ethan van Biljon (flyhalf), Ncuthu Kepe (left wing), Erin Nelson (outside centre), Lamla Mgedezi (fullback), and Thabiso Simelane (outside back).

In the SA U18 ‘A’ side, players returning from last year’s series include Nathan Aneke (outside centre) and Lucritia Magua (right wing). De Villiers, who played for SWD at the FNB U18 Craven Week, is the younger brother of Springbok flanker Paul.

The coaching team for the SA U18 remains unchanged with Lwazi Zanqa at the helm, assisted by Heinrich Martin, while Flash Malinga continues to guide the SA U18 ‘A’ team with Cobus van Dyk assisting him. Defence coach Clinton van Rensburg will also serve both teams.

Coach Zanqa expressed confidence in his team as they prepared for their opening matches against strong international rivals. He noted the significance of their previous experience in shaping their performance as they aim to commence the series effectively: "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."

Matches Schedule:
- August 7, 2026 – HS Durbanville
- 11:30: SA U18 ‘A’ vs Ireland U18
- 13:30: England U18 vs Georgia U18
- 15:30: SA U18 vs France U18

• August 11, 2026 – Boland Landbou, Wellington
• - 11:30: SA U18 ‘A’ vs Georgia U18
• - 13:30: England U18 vs France U18
• - 15:30: SA U18 vs Ireland U18

• August 15, 2026 – Stellenberg High School, Cape Town
• - 11:30: SA U18 ‘A’ vs France U18
• - 13:30: Ireland U18 vs Georgia U18
• - 15:30: SA U18 vs England U18

All matches will be streamed live on YouTube and are set to be broadcast by SuperSport.