Confusion over the bonus points system for the U20 Rugby Championship tournament saw the Junior Springboks embarrassingly being prematurely crowned champions on Sunday night.
Though the Junior Boks go into their final league match against the All Blacks with a handsome five-point lead on top of the log, it is mathematically possible they could be overtaken.
For that to happen, the Junior Boks would have to implode dramatically against the Baby Blacks at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday (kickoff 4.10pm).
In reality the Boks have one firm hand on the trophy and only require a bonus point to seal a historic first U20 Rugby Championship triumph.
The Boks also have the safety cushion of a superior 69-point difference between themselves and the New Zealanders.
The Junior Boks have 10 points on the standings after a 48-21 win over Argentina and a 56-17 victory against Australia in the opening rounds.
It leaves an outside chance that New Zealand, on five points thanks to a bonus point 34-29 win over Australia in round 1, could sneak in against all the odds.
Argentina also have five log points after scoring four tries against New Zealand in a 25-17 win in round 2.
The senior Rugby Championship awards a bonus point for a team scoring three more tries than the other and not only the standard four tries for a bonus point.
After Sunday’s game, the host television broadcaster highlighted SA’s position, marking a six-point gap between the Junior Boks and second-placed New Zealand.
SA Rugby then issued a release saying the Junior Boks had been crowned champions.
Another release was sent out on Monday, saying: “With one round to go, the Junior Boks only need a bonus point against New Zealand to seal the U20 Rugby Championship title.”
It has emerged Sanzaar opted to change the try-scoring bonus point rules ahead of the 2026 U20 tournament, reverting to the old rules of awarding a bonus point for scoring four tries and not for scoring three tries or more than an opponent.
Evidently this information wasn’t relayed to officials and media until the second round of the competition.
Over the past two seasons, the rules of the U20 Rugby Championship have been the same as the senior tournament.
Try-scoring bonus points have been awarded to teams that have scored three or more tries than their opponents.
Log (all played two matches)
- South Africa 10;
- Argentina 5;
- New Zealand 5;
- Australia 2.
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