Gqeberha is set to become a Junior Bok U20 mecca after rugby bosses decided to play the junior Rugby Championship tournament at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium for the next three years.
SA Rugby president Mark Alexander said a deal had been done with Sanzaar and the Premier of the Eastern Cape, Oscar Mabuyane, to ensure the tournament remained in Gqeberha.
This is exciting news for rugby fans and the business sector, who will enjoy many spinoffs from having the Junior Boks, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina staying in Gqeberha for two weeks.
The decision to allow Gqeberha to host the tournament for another three years came after the resounding success of the 2025 event, which reached a climax on Sunday.
It ended dramatically when the Junior All Blacks lifted the trophy after edging the Boks 48-45.
The final game of a double header at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium was a thrilling try feast which had the crowd on the edge of their seats for the full 80 minutes.
SA Rugby chief executive officer Rian Oberholzer said it was remarkable that 15,000 fans flocked to Nelson Mandela Bay for Sunday's matches.
Many of the world's best young players entertained fans from May 1 to 11 in what proved to be a spectacle of exciting, running rugby.
There are plans to expand the four-nation mini World Cup event and turn it into a two-week festival of rugby, which will include schools from Gqeberha and the Border region.
Alexander said the Eastern Cape was a powerhouse of talent which nurtured and produced many of SA's finest players.
He described the region as a true conveyor belt of excellence and that rugby was deeply rooted in the fabric of the Eastern Cape.
In recent times, Gqeberha fans have not been afforded many opportunities to display their support for top-class rugby because of a lack of international events.
Now, apart from a feast of U20 action, they can look forward to a senior men's Test between the Boks and Italy on July 12 in the Bay.
After the unqualified success of the 2025 edition, the popularity of U20 international rugby is set to grow in leaps and bounds.
The Herald
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