Before we begin the 2022 season we thought that instead of waiting until the end of the decade what we would do is a rolling team of the decade.

In a nutshell we will be keeping tabs on the top school rugby XV plus reserves over the decade and notice how it changes year by year.

To qualify a player must have matriculated in 2020 or after, what makes this even more challenging is the limited rugby that has been played but when has that stopped us? We will be naming our own personal team of the year which will be kept on this list.

Further the starting XV and reserves will be kept track of throughout their professional careers, once we get to the end of the decade it will be fascinating to see the progress of the list, the players and where their careers have gone.

15) Nabo Sokoyi (2020) Grey College

Sokoyi burst onto the scene in 2019 with a devastating run of form that saw him run in tries for fun. Gifted with a potent turn of pace, quick feet and an ability to put his steam mates into space one feels he would of comfortably walked into the SA Schools team had there been a full 2020 season.

2022 Status: Signed at the Bulls

14) Curwin Gertse (2020) Paarl Gim

Watching Gertse with ball in hand was truly a sight to behold! The gifted winger left many an opponent in his wake and in the 2019 season as a rookie he took on much more established backline players and often bested them. His spatial awareness was truly a gift, a sixth sense allowed him to see where space would open up and while his try scoring exploits were something special he was equally adept at creating opportunities for his team mates.

2022 Status: Signed at the Sharks

13) Suleiman Hartzenberg (2021) Bishops

What an extraordinary talent, possibly one of the best to come out of the Bishops system in a decade and that is saying something. Hartzenberg burst onto the scene in the 2020 season as a rookie displaying the grit and physicality as a winger that he would take with him into the 2021 season as a centre being arguably the countries most dominant backline player in a year that was stacked with talent. A try on his varsity cup debut as an under 19 shows you what an incredible talent we have on our hands here.

2022 Status: Signed for WP, representing UCT Ikeys in the Varsity Cup

12) Mambo Mkhize (2020) Westville

“Mambo Magic” will long live on in the lore of not only Westville Boys but South African schools rugby in general. The best inside centre we have seen for some time Mambo’s hands were something else, he knew how to put his team mates into space that in our eyes made him a mini Sonny Bill.

2022 Status: Signed at WP

11) Ebenezer Tshimanga (2021) Wynberg

Has there been a more devestating and physical school rugby backline player than Ebenezer Tshimanga in recent memory? We think not! Tshimanga has been known to scouts globally from a young age such is his pedigree. Despite interest from across the nation he stuck by his team at Wynberg Boys and was their key player. Despite his obvious physicality and strength Ebenezer is also an extremely high IQ rugby player, not only relying on his physicality to gain an edge over his competitors

2022 Status: We have no idea! Rumours swirl around a move to Europe but nothing yet has been confirmed

10) Sacha Mngomezulu (2020) Bishops

South Africa is truly stacked in the flyhalf department at youth level with some real quality having come through the system so to stand out in such a crowded market shows you Mngomezulu’s pedigree.

Sacha is a player that is not afraid to take risks, a natural athlete with a third eye that sees the game differently than most traditional flyhalves he truly has the ability to break the game open and brings a completely new dynamic to the position. The coaching team at Western Province must have seen something special in the young pivot with him already forming part of the senior squad and we believe it won’t be long before even higher honours come calling.

2022 Status: Signed for WP, player senior rep rugby

9) Neil le Roux (2021) Oakdale Landbou

There was a real back and forth with the scrumhalf position, it is another position that seems to be stacked in terms of youth players but Le Roux gets the edge because of how he united a gifted Oakdale team and truly was the ultimate link between backs and forwards.

Many a talented team have come and gone, many have failed to live up to expectation but Le Roux ensured through his enterprising style of play that Oakdale became one of the premier teams in the country and who knows how much more magic we could have seen had he had a full season to show off his talent.

2022 Status: Signed for the Bulls

8) Neels Volschenk (2021) Grey College

Another tough selection here but we had to go for Neels, one of the hardest working young players we have come across.

Neels does so much work both on and off the field and his engine is on another level, one wonders how he keeps it all up but again that is a testament to the amount of work he puts into his game.

2022 Status: Signed for the Bulls

7) Luca Ribbens (2021) Paarl Boys

One of the least appreciated young rugby players in recent memory Luca is a player who is a jack of all trades. The work he puts into everything from the breakdown to his incredible defence shows a player willing to put everything on the line. His versatility means he is equally comfortable at lock and loose forward but for us his future lies in the number 7 jersey where we believe he will go on to achieve great things.

2022 Status: Signed for the Sharks

6) Rynard Mouton (2020)  Monument

The king of the breakdown, Mouton was an immovable object and not since Heinrich Brussouw have we seen a player so destructive at slowing down his opposition.

Leadership qualities abound, his selection in the Baby Boks team was more than justified and there is little doubt that a big future awaits the former Monnas star.

2022 Status: Signed for the Bulls

5) Connor Evans (2020) Bishops

Our first ever number 1 prospect, the former Bishops boy had an absolute stormer of a year in 2019 that led to SA Schools selection as a rookie. Not much followed during 2020 due to the situation but Evans took it in his stride and when representing UCT Ikeys the following year he put in some performances that showcased his pedigree and with senior selection for the Western Province mens team little doubt remains about Evans’ massive potential.

2022 Status: Signed for WP, part of the senior squad

4) Reinhardt Ludwig (2020) Affies

What a whirlwing period this has been for young Reinhardt Ludwig. An extremely talented lock in the 2019 season, 2020 was going to no doubt be a year that we would see him truly stand out in the local rugby scene but it was not meant to be.

Fast forward and Baby Bok selection and senior appearances for the Bulls shows Ludwig is very much on his way to the top.

2022 Status: Signed for Bulls, part of the senior squad

3) Dian Heunis (2021) Oakdale

The Oakdale Bull, Heunis is a jovial character who enjoys his game and team mates but once on the field his demenour turns warrior esque and he stands back for no opposition.

His devestating performances in the number 3 jersey made him stand out in what is often a crowded market in SA Schools rugby and despite 2 seasons of disappointment the games he did play showcased his potential.

2022 Status: Signed for the Sharks

2) Bryce Calvert (2021) Westville

Some athletes are developed, others are born and best believe that Calvert was born to take to the rugby field.

An immensley physically player Calvert bulldozed opposition forwards with ease and was by some distance the best in his position within his age group. Not only did he put in some tremendous displays the youngster was also an ever present leader on the field of play.

2022 Status: Signed for Sharks

1) Blokkies Lavagna (2021) Paarl Gim

Blokkies must of been one of the few players we never hyped up before a season and to be honest we love surprises like this. We always knew he had talent but never knew that he would develop into school rugby’s premier loosehead in his senior year. A ball carrying brute with power in the scrum one wonders how on earth a man of this size is able to cover so much ground. We will watch his development closlely.

2022 Status: Signed for Bulls

16) Boepa Vokozela (2020) Rondebosch

Boepa was something else at school level, such was his level of athleticism that he was often deployed as a loose forward and was equallty adept at playing in the front row.

His versatility, turn of pace and accurate line out throwing to us shows his future is at hooker. A great hope for the future.

2022 Status: Signed for WP, part of UWC Varsity Cup Squad

17) Seb Lombard (2020) Paarl Boys

Seb was literally the only Grade 11 player to make the cut in the legendary 2019 Paarl Boys team that was a truly gifted outfit.

Fast forward to 2020 and his dominance in the scrums showed a battle hardened prop forward who was ready to take on all challengers. Seb is a player we truly feel could become a great South African prop.

2022 Status: Signed for the Bulls, part of the senior squad

18) Phatu Ganyane (2021) Glenwood

Phatu and Blokkies would of been a match made in heaven for the 2021 SA Under 18 team. Both complement each other in terms of gameplay and Phatu himself is no slouch in the engine department.

A ball carrier of note who loves to get stuck in Ganyane in a player whose name you should take care to remember.

2022 Status: Signed for Sharks

19) Coetzee le Roux (2021) Paarl Boys

By far and away the unluckiest player on this list Le Roux would have been a household name had he been given 2 full seasons with which to showcase his absolute brilliance.

A physical specimen who plays his heart out, he will certainly develop into an absolute unit and with his all or nothing approach it is inevitable that higher honours will be on the horizon.

2022 Status: Signed for Sharks

20) Renzo du Plessis (2020) Ben Vorster

Our back row reserve had to be someone with versatility and who is more versatile than Renzo du Plessis?

The young loose forward is a forward with the soul of a backline player. He was a sight to behold with ball in play and his offloading was a powerful weapon in his arsenal. We could think of no better “impact” player than Renzo.

2022 Status: Signed for Sharks

21) Nico Steyn (2020) Glenwood

Nico was something special at school level, a player who could do nearly everything to an extremely high level.

A pint point boot, crisp passing and who can forget that sniping runs around the ruck? A player who is truly making good on his potential at the moment with a try on debut for the Baby Boks.

2022 Status: Signed for Lions

22) Compion von Ludwig (2021) Paarl Boys

What do we want from our team? We want a dynamic approach, our bench must be made of players who can completely change the course of a game.

We believe Compion is one of those players. Further his versatility is an invalable asset where he can fill in the pivot role as well as centre but we believe that he could become a world class fullback as well.

It will be interesting to see Compion’s rugby journey unfold, no doubt the talent is there.

2022 Status: Signed for Bulls

23) Franco Knoetze (2020) Grey College

Last and certainly not least the ultimate in terms of versatility, Franco Knoetze.

There is perhaps no player at school level that we have seen with so much versatility with the youngster being able to play across the backline.

His ability to find space where nobody else can is something we have never seen in a player to this level, he is truly the ultimate impact player and the way modern rugby is going should he be utlized correctly he could become an invaluable asset to South African rugby.

2022 Status: Signed for Bulls