Who is Riley Norton, U19 cricketer who led South Africa to Rugby World Cup Final?

South Africa’s Riley Norton has achieved a unique feat as he has played for South Africa in both cricket and rugby at the world level. After shining in the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2024, he is now leading South Africa in the final of the World Rugby U20 Championship 2025.

This is a big achievement since very few players in history have played for their country in both sports. Even fewer have done it at World Cups. The achievement is huge and shows Norton's immense talent in both the sports. It is to be noted that cricket and rugby are two of the most popular sports in South Africa.

Riley Norton: From Cricket World Cup Star to Rugby Final Captain

Riley Norton cricket journey started before Rugby. He played for South Africa in Under-19 One Day Internationals in 2023. It was a tri-series at home, with India and Afghanistan being the other teams. Soon after, he played in the Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2024, which was held in South Africa.

The World Cup saw the rise of many young stars. Names like Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Kwena Maphaka stood out. But Norton was not far behind. He picked up 11 wickets in the tournament, only less than Kwena Maphaka for South Africa. His bowling average was an impressive 18.36.

Riley Norton also scored runs with the bat. In his three times he was dismissed only once and he returned with a batting average of 50. Only Pretorius and Dewan Marais had better numbers with the bat. His best performance came against Sri Lanka. In the match, South Africa were struggling at 133 for 8.

Norton scored an unbeaten 41 to take them to 232 for 8. He then took 4 wickets for 28 runs and bowled Sri Lanka out for just 113. South Africa reached the semi-finals after that win. Despite being just 18, the allrounder did not play again for the South Africa U19 team. He also has not played any professional domestic cricket since. In 8 Youth ODIs, he scored 116 runs at an average of 38.67 and took 13 wickets at 22.23. But then, he switched sports.

Riley Norton Rugby Journey

Riley Norton soon turned his focus to rugby. Currently, in 2025, he is leading South Africa in the World Rugby U20 Championship in Italy. This tournament is similar to the Under-20 World Cup of rugby. South Africa have done well in the past in the sport. They won the title in 2012 and finished as runners-up in 2014. They have made it to the top four a record 13 times. But they have often failed to reach the final.

This year has been different. Under Norton’s captaincy, South Africa topped their group. They beat Australia 73-17, defending champions England 32-22, and Scotland 73-14. These big wins sent them into the semi-finals. In the semi-final, South Africa played against Argentina. Norton’s team won again, this time by 48-24. Now, they will play against New Zealand in the final. The match will be held on July 20 at the Stadio Mario Battaglini in Rovigo, Italy.

Riley Norton is now part of a very special group. Only a few athletes have played for their country in both cricket and rugby. And doing it at World Cups is even more rare. Namibia’s Rudie van Vuuren is one such example. He played in both the cricket and rugby World Cups in 2003. He had also played in the 1999 Rugby World Cup.

But Norton has done it at the youth level and within a short time. In just 18 months, he has gone from a cricket star to a rugby captain. It shows his amazing talent and hard work. Riley Norton’s story is inspiring. It shows that with skill and determination, a player can succeed in more than one sport. Now, he stands just one win away from becoming a world champion once again.