The Cross-Border U20 Club Competition fixtures have kicked off and a total of 64 round-robin matches is set to take place with the first round getting underway on 14 April. The competition features 21 teams from the Blue Bulls, Cheetahs, Pumas, Griquas, Valke, Leopards, and Western Province Rugby Unions, divided into three sections: North, South, and Central regions.
Last week, the Blue Bulls Rugby Union and UXi Sports International Rugby Institutes announced a newly formed partnership which created the Cross-Border U20 Club Competition.
According to Willem Strauss, President of the Blue Bulls Rugby Union, “We hope that this competition will encourage more school leavers to join their local clubs and academies and that it will provide a pathway to professional rugby for players and coaches involved. This tournament will grow the game at the community level and create exposure opportunities for late developers and non-contracted junior players in South Africa. The Cross-Border U20 Club Competition is an important addition to the rugby calendar.”
Each participating club will receive a hosting fee of R 50 000 while the prize money of R500 000 will be up for grabs for the top-performing teams.
“We are thrilled to be part of this exciting new tournament,” Thea Miller, COO of UXi Sport, said. “Our aim is to create opportunities for young rugby players to develop their skills and fulfil their potential. The Cross-Border U20 Club Tournament is a fantastic initiative that will enable us to do just that.
The 21 clubs competing are:
North: Tuks, Centurion, Harlequins, Naka Bulle, Tuine-Grizzlies, Pretoria RC (all Blue Bulls), and Pumas UXI (Pumas)
Central: UXI Cheetahs, CUT, Bloemfontein Academy (all Cheetahs), North West University (Leopards), North West University Vanderbijlpark (Valke), and UXI Griquas
South: Maties, UWC, UCT, Hamilton, False Bay, Tygerberg, Durbell, and Union-Milnerton (all Western Province)
Please see and download the full Cross-Border U20 Club Competition fixtures here
