Junior Springbok Player of the Year: Who is Jurenzo Julius?

Many would not have known who Jurenzo Julius was before he burst onto the scene at the Sharks this season, or indeed, before he was named Junior Springbok Player of the Year for 2024 at an awards function on Thursday night.

The 20-year-old speedster may only be receiving ample game time at the Sharks currently because of the injury to Springbok centre André Esterhuizen, but he has grasped his chance with both hands, scoring three tries this season and making energetic carries that have set tongues wagging.

In a star-studded line-up including Esterhuizen, Lukhanyo Am, Ethan Hooker and Francois Venter, Julius has fitted in like a glove despite being the youngest player among the midfielders and in the whole squad.

Pundits were already talking about his chances of being selected for the Springboks. They have even more reason to after his award.

‘The Boogie Man’ makes a name for himself

Sharks head coach John Plumtree said in January that Julius, along with 22-year-old Hooker, was a spotlight on the future of Sharks rugby.

“There are still some parts of his game that he needs to improve on and that’s just through game awareness and understanding,” Plumtree said.

“That stuff will get better with more opportunities like this on the big stage and learning from other players. He’ll just get better and better as long as he’s got a willingness to learn and be better.”

ALSO READ: Jurenzo Julius shaping up to be a star at the Sharks

Nicknamed ‘The Boogie Man’, Julius was born in Namibia on 11 May 2004. He moved to South Africa during his youth and honed his rugby skills at Paul Roos Gymnasium in Stellenbosch, a top rugby school.

Choosing to represent South Africa rather than Namibia internationally, Julius progressed to the South Afrian U20 side.

Julius scores seven tries for Junior Springboks over two seasons

In two seasons there, the 96kg, 1.78m tall centre earned 13 caps for the Junior Springboks, starting 12 of them.

He scored seven tries to accrue 35 points to his name—enough to earn him a contract at the Sharks this season and ultimately the Junior Springbok Player of the Year award.

Since making his debut for the Sharks against Connacht in September last year, he has played 12 matches between the United Rugby Championship and Champions Cup, gradually moving from the bench to become a regular starter.