A new schools rugby tournament is set to dominate the headlines this December as Grey College host the Global School's Challenge.
The World Rugby U20 Championship has a proven pedigree as a breeding ground for Test stars of the future, with close to 1,000 players using the competition as a stepping stone to higher honours since the first tournament was held in 2008.
From the Springboks to age-grade level, South African rugby players have the reputation of being bigger and more physical than their opponents. But is that actually the case?
The next step on Porthen’s pathway is the Western Province U21s and a shot at eventually making their Currie Cup mix. He’s hoping that the many lessons learned in his two years with the Junior Boks will stand him in good stead.
He started all three of their pool matches, packing down at openside, blindside and then No8 in the final game against the English which was where he picked up the injury that has left him sidelined.
His team not only needed to beat England in the puddles of Athlone but they also had to win by a margin wide enough so that the match points divvy would be five to the hosts and zero to the visitors.
Repeated infringing from the Junior Boks, which included the yellow carding of Divan Fuller, meant the match continued level until its 86th minute.
The Junior Boks had won the previous two games they had played against the Argentinians. Now, with the tables drastically turned, the South African age-grade coach felt compelled to acknowledge the effort put in by the opposition.
The Capetonian, who celebrated his 20th birthday last week ahead of the opening-round win over Fiji at DHL Stadium, was part of Bafana Nhleko’s squad at the recent U20 Rugby Championship on the Gold Coast.
The age-grade South Africans got their World Rugby U20 Championship off to a winning start with a 57-7 victory over Fiji last Saturday at DHL Stadium, but they have now changed two of their backline, one of their pack and altered their bench which is now made up of six forwards and two backs.