Stassen, who was recently signed by the Vodacom Blue Bulls, was initially named as part of 56 players invited by Junior Springbok coach Dawie Theron to a trials camp in Cape Town two weeks ago.
The camp included fitness, skills and medical tests to determine if the large group have the metal to represent South Africa at the World Rugby Under-20 Championship in Manchester, England, in June.
The group has since been trimmed to 36, including Stassen.
The provisional training squad, which is based in the Mother City, with their training base in Stellenbosch, will play a handful of exhibition matches in the next two months before the final 28-man team to represent the Baby Boks at the international jamboree is announced.
“It’s a big honour being selected for the Baby Boks,” said the 18-year-old.
“I’ve always dreamt of this moment. I started working hard for it as a young kid growing up. I realise that there’s still a long way to go.”
Asked by the Advertiser to describe what was going through his mind when he learnt of the big news, he said: “I didn’t believe it. I was in shock when the Bulls broke the news to me. There are still moments when I train as part of the Baby Boks where I still find it hard to believe that I’m actually part of the squad.”
Stassen, who normally plays lock, can also play in the loose trio.
Full Junior Springbok provisional training squad:
Forwards
Hendre Stassen (Blue Bulls), Jan-Henning Campher (Blue Bulls), Aston Fortuin (Blue Bulls), Denzel Hill (Blue Bulls), Jaco Holtzhausen (Blue Bulls), Eli Snyman (Blue Bulls), Franco van den Berg (Blue Bulls), Luigy van Jaarsveld (Blue Bulls); Kwenzo Blose (Free State Cheetahs); Rhyno Herbst (Golden Lions); Tango Balelike (EP Kings), Nicolaas Oosthuizen (EP Kings), Junior Pokomela (EP Kings); Ruan Brits (Western Province), Carlu Sadie (Western Province), Ernst van Rhyn (Western Province), Eduard Zandberg (Western Province), Zane Davids (Western Province), Wikus Groenewald (Western Province), Kuyenseka Xaba (Western Province)
Backs
Tinus de Beer (Blue Bulls), Stedman Gans (Blue Bulls), JT Jackson (Blue Bulls), Manie Libbok (Blue Bulls), Franco Naude (Blue Bulls); Mosalwa Mafuma (Free State Cheetahs); Marco Jansen van Vuren (Golden Lions); James Hall (EP Kings), Keanu Vers (EP Kings), Jeremy Ward (EP Kings); Curwin Bosch (Sharks), Morne Joubert (Sharks), S’busiso Nkosi (Sharks); Eduan Keyter (Western Province), Duncan Saal (Western Province), Edwill van der Merwe (Western Province) – @SabeloBoksburg
Boksburg boasts with another Baby Bok
