Riley Norton chose rugby over cricket after 2019 World Cup win, reports planetrugby.com
Stormers lock Riley Norton chose to pursue a rugby career over cricket after South Africa won the 2019 World Cup, planetrugby.com reported. The 20-year-old was previously selected to bowl for South Africa’s under-19 and under-20 cricket sides before captaining the Springboks under-20 rugby team and making his unofficial senior international debut against the Barbarians.
The World Cup Spark That Shifted a Dual-Sport Career
Norton admitted that watching the Springboks lift the Webb Ellis Cup in 2019 altered his sporting trajectory while he was still in high school. Although he excelled with the ball for South Africa’s age-grade cricket teams, the day-to-day environment of rugby ultimately consumed his competitive drive. We had won the 2019 World Cup when I was low down in my high school journey, and that definitely played a factor in my enjoyment of rugby,
Norton said on the For The Love Of Rugby podcast, as reported by planetrugby.com. I just really loved it. Like every game day, the weeks, the tours, everything was just pointing more towards rugby. I still loved my cricket, but I didn’t have that same fire that I did for rugby.
The choice eventually boiled down to simple geography and ambition, with Norton noting that he loved playing rugby in South Africa and wanted to pursue it professionally.
How Craven Week Built the Pathway to the Stormers
The transition from schoolboy talent to professional prospect hinged heavily on Craven Week, the premier under-18 provincial tournament in South Africa. Norton represented Western Province in the competition, winning the tournament twice before earning selection for the South African under-18 side. It’s a big stepping stone into your professional career because it’s a way a lot of the unions can see their talent and who they want to contract for the first year out of school,
Norton explained to podcast hosts Ben Youngs and Anthony Watson. The high standard of competition within Western Province surrounded him with elite talent, forging bonds with teammates who have now reunited with him at the Stormers.
Stepping Up to the Senior Ranks in Cape Town
Following his development through the age-grade international system, Norton featured in the first three matches of the United Rugby Championship season for the Stormers. That domestic form propelled him into a dream start on the international stage when he made his unofficial debut for the Springboks against the Barbarians in July, marking the occasion with a try. Reflecting on the swift rise, Norton credited the established players around him for shielding him from the pressure. The system protects you, if I’m being honest,
he said. It’s so easy to transition into a role because the guys around you are quality players, and they almost understand how to take a youngster and just make them feel at ease.
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