On 22 June 2012, the Junior Springboks beat New Zealand at Newlands to win the World Rugby U20 Championship.

It remains the only time South Africa have won the U20 event, with a silver medal and nine bronze medals to show for their efforts since then.

After losing their opening match of the 2012 tournament 23-19 to Ireland at the Danie Craven Stadium, the Junior Boks needed a bonus-point win in their last pool fixture against England at Cape Town Stadium to reach the semi-finals. They achieved it (28-15) and then hammered Argentina 35-3 in the Newlands semi-final to set up a decider against the Baby Blacks.

In front of nearly 35,000 fans at Newlands, the hosts triumphed 22-16, with 18-year-old flyhalf Handre Pollard (still in his matric year at Paarl Gim) kicking a crucial drop goal in a 12-point haul and centre Jan Serfontein (named World Rugby Junior Player of the Year) scoring a try that ultimately sealed the victory.

Photo: Luke Walker/Gallo Images