Stormers star Riley Norton reveals why he chose rugby over cricket

By SABC Sport
13th October 2026

Stormers star Riley Norton has revealed why he chose to pursue a career in rugby, despite being international-capped at age-grade cricket.

The 20-year-old was a highly regarded cricketer in his youth, earning selection as a bowler for South Africa's under-19 and under-20 teams. At the same time, he continued to pursue rugby, eventually captaining the Junior Springboks to victory at the 2025 World Rugby U20 Championship.

Norton said the Boks' 2019 World Cup win in Japan ultimately proved instrumental in him pursuing a rugby career.

"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," he said on the For The Love Of Rugby podcast.

"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."

Eventually, the choice between the two sports was simple: "I love playing rugby. I love South Africa, and I want to pursue that."

After the Stellenbosch-born lock developed through the age-grades at international level, he cut his teeth at the senior level, both for the Stormers and the Springboks.

Norton appeared in the first three matches of this United Rugby Championship season and made his unofficial debut for South Africa's national side against the Barbarians in July, scoring in a dream start.

It's been a rapid rise for the youngster, who admits it all came much sooner than he thought it would.

"I've grown up supporting the Springboks," he enthused. "So to get that opportunity was something that I never thought would come so soon, and when I got there, I was just trying to put my best foot forward.

"The system protects you, if I'm being honest. 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. So I felt like I belonged really quickly, and it was credit to the players around me and just the entire environment."