Keagan Glade has been included in the Junior Springbok World Rugby U20 Championship squad as an injury replacement for prop Hanro Jacobs.
Jacobs suffered the injury at training late last week and subsequent scans confirmed that he will not recover in time for the international extravaganza in Argentina, which prompted coach Chean Roux to call up Glade.
The powerful Golden Lions prop is no stranger to the Junior Springbok setup, as he trained with the squad last year, but missed out on selection for the World Rugby U20 Championship in the south of France. He was also a member of the SA Rugby Academy squad that have been training with the Junior Springbok coaches in Stellenbosch since February.
The Junior Springboks will depart for the World Rugby U20 Championship on Wednesday, where they will face Scotland, Georgia and New Zealand in the pool stages on 4, 8 and 12 June respectively.
‘I feel for Hanro, especially after all the hard work he has put in during the last few months,’ said Roux.
‘We will miss his presence on and off the field. But it is fantastic to be able to call on Keagan, who has been part of the wider training squad for the last two seasons, and who is familiar with our structures and systems.
‘He was a member of the SA Rugby Academy squad, so he knows the coaching staff and his teammates well, and he has slotted in with ease since being called up to train with us. It is fantastic to see how he is embracing this opportunity.’
Photo: Marius Nortjé
