Best friends off the field, Junior Springbok scrumhalves Neil le Roux and Imad Khan are pushing each other to take the next big step in their careers in the World Rugby U20 Championship. DYLAN JACK reports.
Le Roux and Khan are among the handful of players set to turn out for South Africa at the U20 tournament who were also part of the Junior Bok squad that did duty in last year’s U20 Six Nations Summer Series in Italy, where they won.
Since leaving Oakdale and Bishops respectively, Le Roux and Khan have gone in different directions. Le Roux took the opportunity to join the Bulls, while Khan is part of a bright contingent of up-and-comers at Western Province, which includes former Bishops 1st XV teammates Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Suleiman Hartzenberg and Connor Evans.
The two scrumhalves have gone head-to-head at U19 and U20 level while in action for their respective provinces, but have been reunited in the Junior Bok squad for the U20 Championship on home soil.
“We actually are very good friends,” said Khan, after being named in the starting lineup for Saturday’s opening match against Georgia.
“We have come a long way together, playing against each other provincially for Province and Bulls. There’s a big rivalry there. Off the field, it’s good friendship, a brotherhood. Whether we play against each other, train with each other, we learn a lot from each other and teach each other, and help each other where we can.
“It’s a healthy relationship, pushing each other to get better.”
In the build-up to the tournament, Le Roux and Khan benefitted from the mentorship of Springbok scrumhalf Grant Williams, who was on hand to provide some handy pointers for the youngsters.
“That was really nice, that they brought Grant in for a bit,” said Le Roux. “I learned a lot from him, especially in terms of the kicking game. He helped me quite a lot with my box kicks. It was really nice for me that he could help us. “
View this post on Instagram
With the Junior Springboks set to open their campaign against Georgia at the Danie Craven Stadium, Le Roux is confident the team is well prepared for what lies ahead.
“It’s a huge privilege to play for South Africa, to have a World Cup here, to play in front of our friends and family. It’s a good opportunity. I am very excited for Saturday’s game.
“I think every guy is excited to wear the green and gold and run out. We are well prepared, we know what we want to do, our structures are good, we’ve looked at our detail. So, yeah, we are just excited.”
Khan, meanwhile, is eager to take the next big step in his career, by once again donning the green and gold.
“It’s normal to think about the future, about where you want to go, where you want to take things. So I have thought about it. The end goal is that I want to be a Springbok one day, but the path that I will take, no one knows. That comes down to me trusting what I need to do to get there.
“This is a stepping stone and another bridge to cross. Hopefully the 14 July is a success and I can continue building from there.”
Photo: Grant Pitcher/Gallo Images
