Lance Sendin and Wessel du Plessis will take over the reigns as SA Schools and SA Schools A coaches for the 2020 edition of the U18 International Series, which will again be hosted in the Western Cape in August.
 
Sendin, from Hugenote in Wellington, is no stranger to the role as SA Schools coach after having steered the team in 2016 and 2017, while Du Plessis, from Grey College in Bloemfontein, is promoted from SA Schools A assistant coach to the head coaching role this year.
 
They take over from former SA Schools coach Mzwakhe Nkosi, who is the Xerox Golden Lions Under-21 coach and SuperSport Rugby Challenge assistant coach, and SA Schools A coach, Phiwe Nomlomo, who now works with the Cell C Sharks teams as a skills specialist.
 
Sendin will be assisted by Cobus van Dyk (Waterkloof in Pretoria), who retains his place in the management team from last season, while Katleho Lynch from St Johns College takes over as SA Schools A team assistant coach.
 
The SA Schools and SA Schools A teams will play three rounds of matches in the U18 International Series on 7, 11 and 15 August respectively. England, Argentina and France have already confirmed their participation in the series and the fixtures will be finalised in due course.
 
“The SA Schools and SA Schools A teams play a vital role in our development structures, as it is often the first taste of international rugby our players are exposed to, and it is pleasing to be able to appoint coaches of Lance and Wessel’s caliber,” said SA Rugby CEO Jurie Roux.
 
“They are both familiar with the competition having served in the coaching structures before and they know what standards are required to be successful, so we are expecting another top-class event this season.”
 
SA Schools management team:
Head Coach: Lance Sendin 
Assistant Coach: Cobus van Dyk 
Team manager: Dean Moodley 
Strength and conditioning coach: Sisonke Makapela
Team Doctor: Dr Janesh Ghanda
Physiotherapist: Wernich Smit
 
SA Schools A management team:                
Head Coach: Wessel du Plessis 
Assistant Coach: Katleho Lynch 
Team manager: Jimmy Jimlongo
Strength and conditioning coach: Yaw Fosu-Amoah
Team Doctor: Dr Janesh Ghanda
Physiotherapist: Ken Kabongo
 
Issued by SA Rugby Communication

Fifty-three of South Africa’s most talented Under-18 rugby players from across the country will assemble in Stellenbosch on Thursday, 27 February, for a four-day Elite Player Development (EPD) camp.
 
The camp – which will be hosted at the Stellenbosch Academy of Sport and concludes on Sunday, 1 March – is the first of three EPD camps that will be hosted this year, with Under-16 and Under-17 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 to 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, where they will have the opportunity to work with a handful of coaches within the SA Rugby structures.
 
Players invited to the SA Rugby U18 High Performance camp:
 
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)
 
Issued by SA Rugby Communications
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