The SA U19s will wrap up their two-week trip to France and Ireland on Friday evening when they play against Ireland U19 at Virgin Media Park in Cork. The game will kick off at 19h30 local time (21h30 SA time).

Leadership comes naturally for the former King Edward VII School star. Mnebelele was a captain at schoolboy level, where he and fellow Junior Bok Vusi Moyo were friends and teammates.

Mnebelele also skippered the Golden Lions at the FNB U18 Craven Week in 2024, the same year he was chosen to lead the SA Schools team. In fact, he has the distinction of representing the SA Schools and SA Under-18 teams in 2023 and 2024 before his selection for the Junior Boks in 2025.

He is now a key member of the SA U19 Academy side touring Europe, with that squad being the frontrunner for the next Junior Boks intake.

Mnebelele made his Carling Currie Cup debut for the Vodacom Bulls earlier this year, playing six times in total for the Pretoria outfit in South Africa’s senior domestic competition. He was also a member of the Pretoria franchise’s Vodacom United Rugby Championship training squad.

Speaking at the team hotel in Cork, where they are based ahead of Friday evening’s final tour match against the Irish U19s, Mnebelele described the brief overseas trip as a crucial part of next year’s Junior Bok season. The SA U20s will then be in action in a couple of warm-up games and the U20 Rugby Championship before they defend their title at the World Rugby U20 Championship in Georgia.

“I was fortunate enough to be a member of the Junior Bok squad that toured Georgia earlier this year and played in the U20 Rugby Championship, and I have no doubt that those two experiences prepared us well for the World Rugby U20 Championship in Italy,” said the young hooker.

“We only have a couple of guys returning from the Junior Boks, but the great thing is that we have several more who were part of that wider training squad, so they are familiar with how we do things.

“For the rest, it’s a learning experience. We are a new group, at the beginning of a new journey together, and so this tour to France and Ireland is an important exercise to help us grow as a team.”

The different climates and playing conditions mean the team must face a couple of interesting challenges on tour, something which Mnebelele embraces.

“We came from summer conditions back home to the wet and cold winter in Europe,” he said.

“The travelling to different countries is also a new experience for most of the group, as well as getting used to the local training and playing conditions.

“The adaptation is something we’ve discussed in a positive way, to learn and grow from this experience. We are focussing on the positive things, enjoying the new countries and cultures. At such a young age, we are privileged to experience this and represent our country.”

The result in France did not go their way, and the SA U19s also faced a logistical challenge when some of their luggage arrived late in Ireland from Paris. Mnebelele credits Junior Bok head coach Kevin Foote for keeping the new squad motivated and focussing on the positives.

Since arriving in Cork, the squad have been training on an all-weather, artificial surface at their local base, which Mnebelele reckons will help them prepare for Friday evening’s clash with the Irish U19s at the Virgin Media Park, which has a similar synthetic pitch.

“The weather – wet and cold – is the same for everyone here, so it’s a matter of accepting it and just getting on with the job,” he said. “We don’t see it as a hindrance, but rather an opportunity to experience and learn new aspects of our young rugby careers.”

Regarding the challenge against Ireland on Friday, Mnebelele mentioned the South Africans have done a lot of work in pinpointing where they need improvement. They are determined to apply those learnings and hopefully end the tour on a positive note.

“As a member of the tight five, I’d say that we are fortunate that we have several of us that have been together for a while, but overall, we are working hard on improving our cohesion and the understanding of our game model. I believe that will get better the more we play with each other, and Friday is one such important opportunity,” he said.

“This tour has given us such a great chance to grow together and experience things we can iron out before we play in the U20 Rugby Championship and World Rugby U20s, and I am just grateful and excited to be part of this new journey.”