A squad of more than 100 players have been invited to Kimberley for a first round of SA Under-20 trials next week.
The camp will run from November 6 to 11 during which time the players will compete in a series of trial matches, to be held on November 8 and 10 at GWK Park in Kimberley.
This is the first step in a long process through which the strongest possible squad for the 2012 Junior World Championships, will be selected, said coach Dawie Theron. The event will be hosted in South Africa between June 4 and June 22.
“We’ve cast our net very wide and have invited players that we’d like to get in our system, who might only play for South Africa in two years’ time,” he said. “There are also players that are injured or others that might come into the reckoning next year, but it’s essential that everyone gets a fair chance to show what they are capable of.
“We are blessed with an immense pool of talented players and we’ll also follow the Varsity Cup, Vodacom Cup and Varsity Cup Young Guns tournament for U20s next year. We’ve also invited a number of SA Schools players from this year, to see how they adapt to playing with guys that have been in the U20-system for a year or two.”
Theron and the national selectors will select a squad of roughly 40 players for a High Performance camp in Cape Town between November 27 and December 7. They will have a third camp in January, where the SA U20 squad will compete in friendlies against UCT and Maties before the Argentinean U20s tour South Africa in April.
Four players were not considered for the trials camp due to injury – Leneve Dames and Kevin Luiters from the Free State, the Golden Lions’ Ruan Venter and Steven Kitshoff from Western Province.
The following players have been invited to the training camp:
Boland: Aubrey Faul. Eastern Province: Ernest Killian. Griffons: Mario Noordman, Ruaan Rogers, Darrel Luiters. SWD: Lourens Steytler, Lushiano James, Percy Williams. Western Province: Beyers de Villiers, Cheslin Colbe, Cobus Nel, Craig Barry, Devon Williams, Dillion Leyds, Etienne Swanepoel, Gerbrandt Grobler, Gerhard Jordaan, Johnny Kotze, Justin Ackerman, Kobus van Wyk, Lungelo Chonco, Patrick Howard, Renier Marais, Ryan Smidt, Tshotsho Mbovane, Sikhumbuzo Notshe, Tshepo Motale, Timothy Swiel. Valke: Friedle Olivier. Border: Xhola Msane, Quinton Norris, Wian Fourie, Lungelo Ngcamu, Dean Smit, Juan Bester. Eastern Province: Sonkosi Kuhle. Griffons: Bervin Marais, Griquas: Coenraad Cohn, KwaZulu-Natal: Allan Dell, Francois Marais, Nicolaas van Dyk, Pieter Steph du Toit, Joseph Stefan Lewies, Khaya Majola, Siseko Jafta, Fred Zeilinga, Paul Jordaan, Siyabonga Tom, Dean Moolman, Tyler Fisher, Hein Arendse, Francois Janse van Vuuren, Robert du Preez. Free State: Hanco Venter, Niel Jordaan, Johan Goosen, JJ de Klerk, Maputha Dolo, Mehlali Mpafi, Rudi Fuls, Carl van Heerden, Nhlanhla Hlongwane, Niel Marais, Jan Serfontein, Dries Swanepoel. Golden Lions: Errol Jaggers, Henry Boshoff, Mark Pretorius, Pieter Stemmet, Ettienne Oosthuizen, Paul Willemse, Fabian Booysen, Vian van der Walt, JP du Plessis, Willem Jacobus Viljoen, Marais Schmidt, Ruan Steenkamp, Luqmaan Ismail. Blue Bulls: Abrie Griesel, Andile Jho, Du Toit Genis, Hendrik van Wyk, Jaco Visagie, Jason Thomas, Juan Nel, Marvin Orrie, Marzuk Maarman, Nardus van der Walt, Richard Gorrah, Rudi van Rooyen, Schalk van Heerden, Shaun Adendorf, Tony Jantjies, Travis Ismaiel, Wiaan Liebenberg, William Small-Smith. Leopards: Lodewyk de Jager, Cornelius van Zyl, James Marx, James Meechum. Pumas: Jacques du Plessis.