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The former SA U19 cricket player said he realised in matric that he 'loved rugby just a bit more'.
Junior Boks captain Riley Norton in action during the U20 Rugby Championship in Gqeberha. Picture: Richard Huggard/Gallo Images/Getty Images
If you thought you’d heard the name Riley Norton before this year’s U20 Rugby Championship taking place in Gqeberha, you’d be right.
You see, the Junior Springboks’ lock and captain isn’t only a hot shot rugby player; he’s also an excellent cricketer, who last year featured for the South African U19 team at the junior cricket World Cup.
The tall lock forward is an aggressive fast bowler who can also hit a long ball down the order.
Norton was head boy at Paul Roos Gymnasium and also represented Western Province in rugby and cricket. He is currently studying for a BCom Investment Management degree at the University of Stellenbosch.
According to rugby365.com, Norton is only the third sportsman in the past decade to do the double of SA Schools rugby and cricket.
He follows in the footsteps of people like Herschelle Gibbs, Conrad Jantjes, Ruan de Swardt, and Christopher Schreuder.
Gibbs went on to play for the Proteas and Jantjes for the Springboks, while all-rounder De Swardt has played for the Proteas.
In total, 15 school athletes have accomplished the remarkable feat – 11 of them before 2000.
Last year, while doing his matric, Norton had to make the tough choice – pick between playing rugby or cricket at a higher level. He chose rugby.
“It was tough because cricket has done a lot for me and taught me a great deal,” he told Maties Sport earlier this year.
“My dad (Chris, who also played for Maties for 12 years) told me to do what I loved and during matric I realised that I loved rugby just a bit more … the unbeatable camaraderie, the inspiration of the Springboks – and Maties Rugby!”
He continued: “For me it equips you with skills and habits to succeed off the field: commitment to a goal, work ethic, courage. And it also teaches you how to live outside of your own bubble. There is so much diversity in rugby that comes together for a common goal. Nothing unites more than sport, particularly rugby.”
It is no surprise that Norton’s all-time rugby hero is two-time World Cup winner and one of the very greats of Springbok rugby, Pieter-Steph du Toit.
“World Player of the Year twice, who consistently gave 110 percent. His father donated a tendon to enable him to carry on. Very inspirational,” said the 1.97m, 101kg lock.
While young Kwena Maphaka hogged the headlines at last year’s U19 Cricket World Cup, with 21 wickets in six matches, Norton finished the tournament with the second most number of wickets for his team. He picked up 11 wickets in five matches to be 11th overall on the wicket-takers’ list.
Cricket’s loss is certainly rugby’s gain.
Norton is expected to again lead the Junior Springboks when they play their third and final match of the U20 Rugby Championship against New Zealand in Gqeberha on Sunday. So far the ‘Baby Boks’ have beaten Argentina and lost to Australia.
Their match on Sunday at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium is at 4.10pm.
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