Jaguares v Sharks
Final Score: 34 - 7
The Cell C Sharks faced the unenviable task of travelling to Buenos Aires in round seventeen; a destination that has proven challenging for many a South African team. The conference topping Jaguares showed why they’ve been so dominant this season with a Sebastian Cancelliere score within three minutes, before star fullback Emiliano Boffelli added to the Argentine tally. Joaquin Diaz Bonilla had a placekicking display to forget, leaving the South Africans still in the hunt at halftime. This assurance was short-lived however, as Boffelli gathered a high ball to outstrip Lukhanyo Am and crash over for his brace; ensuring a twenty-two-point deficit heading into the final half hour. Cancelliere scored his second a few minutes later, and despite Andre Esterhuizen’s wrecking-ball touchdown in the 67th minute, the result was no longer in the balance. Despite falling off a few tackles, the Cell C Sharks’ collective effort could not be questioned. Aside from the Jaguares’ ability to disrupt lineout ball, the Durbanites were very much their equal in most facets of the game. The difference on the day was certainly the crispness of the South Americans’ passing and their ability to offload at an international standard.
Stormers v Sharks
Final Score: 9 - 12
It took over twenty minutes before the first points were on the board in this South African derby that effectively served as a winner takes all tussle before the knockout stages. Josh Stander’s penalty was followed by a period of Stormers territorial dominance, culminating in the Capetonians camping in the Cell C Sharks red zone for nineteen phases. An almost certain try was thwarted by Rhyno Smith’s brilliant decision to intercept the ball with his foot, and therefore not be deemed to intentionally knock the ball down. Smith used all his footballing skills to regather and run the length of the field for a crucial score. A 5-3 halftime lead for the visitors was befitting of this arm-wrestle, and so it remained with the Newlands faithful sensing their own progression to the quarterfinals. As the home team converted two further penalties in the second stanza and with the final hooter having sounded, the Cell C Sharks desperately tried to save their season and overturn the four-point deficit. Cometh the hour, cometh the man. Lukhanyo Am seemed to amble over the try line with an intelligent running line that flummoxed would-be DHL Stormers defenders, securing a victory that will hopefully set the tone for the challenge of weeks to come.
Brumbies vs Sharks
Final Score: 38 - 13
After securing their place in the knockout stages of Vodacom Super Rugby 2019, the Cell C Sharks made the arduous journey to Canberra to take on Australia’s form franchise. The effects of thirteen hours in a plane cannot be understated, and it appeared that jetlag was well and truly at play in the opening stanza. Back rower Pete Samu powered through a disjointed defensive line within the first minute of the game, followed by a Henry Speight try in the corner, just nine minutes later.
Samu secured his brace within the first quarter of the match, duly converted by Christian Leali’ifano and ensuring a halftime score line of 24-6. Credit must go to the Cell C Sharks, who refused to throw in the towel and Andre Esterhuizen’s powerful touchdown brought the deficit to a mere eleven points with twenty-three minutes remaining.
The South Africans dominated territory and possession in the second half, but the ACT outfit were foremost at the breakdown, winning key turnovers and denying the Durbanites any momentum. It was in the 73rd minute that the hosts put the result out of question, when wily halfback Joe Powell sniped through tiring Cell C Sharks tight forwards. A final blow was struck in the closing stages, bringing the curtain down on South Africa’s Vodacom Super Rugby campaign for the year.
Fixtures
FRIDAY, 12 JULY | 19H15
Cell C Sharks vs Tafel Lager Griquas
JONSSON KINGS PARK
SATURDAY, 20 JULY | 14H00
Cell C Sharks vs DHL Western Province
JONSSON KINGS PARK
SATURDAY, 3 AUGUST | 15H00
Steval Pumas vs Cell C Sharks
MBOMBELA STADIUM
SATURDAY, 10 AUGUST | 15H00
Cell C Sharks vs Toyota Cheetahs
JONSSON KINGS PARK
SUNDAY, 18 AUGUST | 14H00
Emirates Lions vs Cell C Sharks
EMIRATES AIRLINE PARK
SATURDAY, 24 AUGUST | 19H30
Vodacom Blue Bulls vs Cell C Sharks
LOFTUS VERSFELD
The Cell C Sharks faced the unenviable task of travelling to Buenos Aires in round seventeen; a destination that has proven challenging for many a South African team. The conference topping Jaguares showed why they’ve been so dominant this season with a Sebastian Cancelliere score within three minutes, before star fullback Emiliano Boffelli added to the Argentine tally. Joaquin Diaz Bonilla had a placekicking display to forget, leaving the South Africans still in the hunt at halftime. This assurance was short-lived however, as Boffelli gathered a high ball to outstrip Lukhanyo Am and crash over for his brace; ensuring a twenty-two-point deficit heading into the final half hour. Cancelliere scored his second a few minutes later, and despite Andre Esterhuizen’s wrecking-ball touchdown in the 67th minute, the result was no longer in the balance. Despite falling off a few tackles, the Cell C Sharks’ collective effort could not be questioned. Aside from the Jaguares’ ability to disrupt lineout ball, the Durbanites were very much their equal in most facets of the game. The difference on the day was certainly the crispness of the South Americans’ passing and their ability to offload at an international standard.
It took over twenty minutes before the first points were on the board in this South African derby that effectively served as a winner takes all tussle before the knockout stages. Josh Stander’s penalty was followed by a period of Stormers territorial dominance, culminating in the Capetonians camping in the Cell C Sharks red zone for nineteen phases. An almost certain try was thwarted by Rhyno Smith’s brilliant decision to intercept the ball with his foot, and therefore not be deemed to intentionally knock the ball down. Smith used all his footballing skills to regather and run the length of the field for a crucial score. A 5-3 halftime lead for the visitors was befitting of this arm-wrestle, and so it remained with the Newlands faithful sensing their own progression to the quarterfinals. As the home team converted two further penalties in the second stanza and with the final hooter having sounded, the Cell C Sharks desperately tried to save their season and overturn the four-point deficit. Cometh the hour, cometh the man. Lukhanyo Am seemed to amble over the try line with an intelligent running line that flummoxed would-be DHL Stormers defenders, securing a victory that will hopefully set the tone for the challenge of weeks to come.
After securing their place in the knockout stages of Vodacom Super Rugby 2019, the Cell C Sharks made the arduous journey to Canberra to take on Australia’s form franchise. The effects of thirteen hours in a plane cannot be understated, and it appeared that jetlag was well and truly at play in the opening stanza. Back rower Pete Samu powered through a disjointed defensive line within the first minute of the game, followed by a Henry Speight try in the corner, just nine minutes later.
Samu secured his brace within the first quarter of the match, duly converted by Christian Leali’ifano and ensuring a halftime score line of 24-6. Credit must go to the Cell C Sharks, who refused to throw in the towel and Andre Esterhuizen’s powerful touchdown brought the deficit to a mere eleven points with twenty-three minutes remaining.
The South Africans dominated territory and possession in the second half, but the ACT outfit were foremost at the breakdown, winning key turnovers and denying the Durbanites any momentum. It was in the 73rd minute that the hosts put the result out of question, when wily halfback Joe Powell sniped through tiring Cell C Sharks tight forwards. A final blow was struck in the closing stages, bringing the curtain down on South Africa’s Vodacom Super Rugby campaign for the year.
FRIDAY, 12 JULY | 19H15
Cell C Sharks vs Tafel Lager Griquas
JONSSON KINGS PARK
SATURDAY, 20 JULY | 14H00
Cell C Sharks vs DHL Western Province
JONSSON KINGS PARK
SATURDAY, 3 AUGUST | 15H00
Steval Pumas vs Cell C Sharks
MBOMBELA STADIUM
SATURDAY, 10 AUGUST | 15H00
Cell C Sharks vs Toyota Cheetahs
JONSSON KINGS PARK
SUNDAY, 18 AUGUST | 14H00
Emirates Lions vs Cell C Sharks
EMIRATES AIRLINE PARK
SATURDAY, 24 AUGUST | 19H30
Vodacom Blue Bulls vs Cell C Sharks
LOFTUS VERSFELD
As soon as one door closes another opens and with the 2019 Rugby World Cup just around the corner a number of Cell C Sharks players will be hoping that they have done enough to get on the plane to Japan.
It’s been a tough Vodacom Super Rugby campaign and it didn’t end well, but the players left it all out there and cannot be faulted for effort throughout!
We’ve discussed at length about who should be in the squad and who could potentially be in the squad but I think that things are becoming increasingly clearer now with the Springbok alignment squad announcement and unfortunately there have to be players that miss out.
Injuries can never come at a good time, but for Akker van der Merwe it couldn’t have come at a worse possible time to be honest.
He was the form hooker in the competition and was barging down the door for Springbok selection. It’s just one of those things and injuries are part and parcel with the game we love however for Akker it was a make or break injury.
On the other hand, a man like Daniel du Preez has surely played himself into contention given that he has played almost every minute of the Sharks’ Super Rugby campaign.
He led the side in tackles made, tackle busts, tries scored… the list goes on!
It’s tough to say, but Dan du Preez will be the benefactor of a stop-start season for Warren Whitely.
I think that it was clear at the start of Super Rugby that Whitely was in the mix as the back-up to Duane Vermeulen but it’s been an injury plagued season for the number eight.
With that said, if Whitely had played the full season as well, Du Preez would get my nod to go to the World Cup over the Lions number eight.
He has been incredible for the Sharks! Given how little rugby he played last year, it was a sight for sore eyes to see him boshing off some of Super Rugby’s big guns throughout the competition!
A player that might have found himself sitting on the fringe of Bok selection was Andre Esterhuizen.
The centre has been part of the Bok plans but last year he might have felt he was drifting out of the mix.
He has been one of the stand-outs for the Sharks this season there is no doubt about that!
From a national perspective it was crucial that he played well and he has put in the hard yards and under the guidance of Rassie Erasmus I think he will flourish and grow in confidence.
The Sharks’ mentality was not necessarily attack driven, given the lack of tries scored, but he showed consistency in getting over the gainline but also a maturity in vision. Making more passes and using players in better positions.
Will we see Esterhuizen and Lukhanyo Am lining up in the midfield for the Boks on 17 August? I hope so!
There is so much potential and talent in that combination I would love to see them given a shot in the green and gold again at the World Cup.
Am is a player that I think grew into his role during Super Rugby.
Who can forget his winning try against the Stormers to take the Sharks into the play-off??
That is the sort of thing we want to see consistently from him because we know how good he is on defence and on the ground.
If he lines up in the number 13 shirt for the Springboks at the World Cup I think we can safely say that the selectors got that one right!
Coenie Oosthuizen is going to be another player that I would love to see back in the green and gold.
I know that there are a number of good tight-head props in the country but Coenie is a man for the big game. It’s taken him a while to get back into his groove since his injury but the form he had before he was injured is bubbling under – I can feel it!
Thomas du Toit is another man that I would love to see in the squad.
Technically great, a non-stop engine and a cool head are qualities that have seen him win eight caps for the Boks.
I’m putting my neck on the line here, but let’s talk about the dead certainties.
Tendai Mtawarira picks himself. The man, the legend has seen it all and will be a rock for the Boks in Japan.
Makazole Mapimpi has been the form wing throughout the competition and will definitely be on the flight to the land of the cherry blossom, he should be joined by his wing mate Sbu Nkosi.
Nkosi has been fairly quiet this season but we know the class of the man and that’s all that counts!
Erasmus has brought in a number of overseas based players which clouds the waters a bit but I still believe that there will be a good Sharks flavour to our World Cup squad.
If we have eight players in the squad that goes to Japan I think that will be a great return and the Sharks can be happy with that!
As soon as one door closes another opens and with the 2019 Rugby World Cup just around the corner a number of Cell C Sharks players will be hoping that they have done enough to get on the plane to Japan.
It’s been a tough Vodacom Super Rugby campaign and it didn’t end well, but the players left it all out there and cannot be faulted for effort throughout!
We’ve discussed at length about who should be in the squad and who could potentially be in the squad but I think that things are becoming increasingly clearer now with the Springbok alignment squad announcement and unfortunately there have to be players that miss out.
Injuries can never come at a good time, but for Akker van der Merwe it couldn’t have come at a worse possible time to be honest.
He was the form hooker in the competition and was barging down the door for Springbok selection. It’s just one of those things and injuries are part and parcel with the game we love however for Akker it was a make or break injury.
On the other hand, a man like Daniel du Preez has surely played himself into contention given that he has played almost every minute of the Sharks’ Super Rugby campaign.
He led the side in tackles made, tackle busts, tries scored… the list goes on!
It’s tough to say, but Dan du Preez will be the benefactor of a stop-start season for Warren Whitely.
I think that it was clear at the start of Super Rugby that Whitely was in the mix as the back-up to Duane Vermeulen but it’s been an injury plagued season for the number eight.
With that said, if Whitely had played the full season as well, Du Preez would get my nod to go to the World Cup over the Lions number eight.
He has been incredible for the Sharks! Given how little rugby he played last year, it was a sight for sore eyes to see him boshing off some of Super Rugby’s big guns throughout the competition!
A player that might have found himself sitting on the fringe of Bok selection was Andre Esterhuizen.
The centre has been part of the Bok plans but last year
he might have felt he was drifting out of the mix.
He has been one of the stand-outs for the Sharks this season there is no doubt about that!
From a national perspective it was crucial that he played well and he has put in the hard yards and under the guidance of Rassie Erasmus I think he will flourish and grow in confidence.
The Sharks’ mentality was not necessarily attack driven, given the lack of tries scored, but he showed consistency in getting over the gainline but also a maturity in vision. Making more passes and using players in better positions.
Will we see Esterhuizen and Lukhanyo Am lining up in the midfield for the Boks on 17 August? I hope so!
There is so much potential and talent in that combination I would love to see them given a shot in the green and gold again at the World Cup.
Am is a player that I think grew into his role during Super Rugby.
Who can forget his winning try against the Stormers to take the Sharks into the play-off??
That is the sort of thing we want to see consistently from him because we know how good he is on defence and on the ground.
If he lines up in the number 13 shirt for the Springboks at the World Cup I think we can safely say that the selectors got that one right!
Coenie Oosthuizen is going to be another player that I would love to see back in the green and gold.
I know that there are a number of good tight-head props in the country but Coenie is a man for the big game. It’s taken him a while to get back into his groove since his injury but the form he had before he was injured is bubbling under – I can feel it!
Thomas du Toit is another man that I would love to see in the squad.
Technically great, a non-stop engine and a cool head are qualities that have seen him win eight caps for the Boks.
I’m putting my neck on the line here, but let’s talk about the dead certainties.
Tendai Mtawarira picks himself. The man, the legend has seen it all and will be a rock for the Boks in Japan.
Makazole Mapimpi has been the form wing throughout the competition and will definitely be on the flight to the land of the cherry blossom, he should be joined by his wing mate Sbu Nkosi.
Nkosi has been fairly quiet this season but we know the class of the man and that’s all that counts!
Erasmus has brought in a number of overseas based players which clouds the waters a bit but I still believe that there will be a good Sharks flavour to our World Cup squad.
If we have eight players in the squad that goes to Japan I think that will be a great return and the Sharks can be happy with that!
As the dust begins to settle after the Cell C Sharks’ exit from Vodacom Super Rugby in 2019, the sober realisation dawns that their Canberra excursion was always going to be an uphill battle. And whilst it’s fair to say that the Brumbies were clearly the better team on the day, modern science suggests that the Durban outfit would have needed to be infinitely better than their Australian opponents. For it is now common cause that for every time zone that one passes through on an international flight, it takes a full day for an athlete to reach optimum levels of performance. And for those who might suggest that our Antipodean friends have just as tough a time flying in the opposite direction, the fixture list blows your perceived impartiality out the water. The Brumbies spent a total of three weeks in South Africa this year, including a fortnight in Gauteng to play the Emirates Lions & Vodacom Bulls. A Relative smash & grab effort, before heading back home to Australasia.
In contrast, lets reflect on the schedule of the Cell C Sharks squad after their exhilarating injury time victory over the DHL Stormers in Cape Town. They would naturally fly back home to Durban, pack their bags in haste, fly to OR Tambo International Airport, spend twelve hours in transit to Sydney, before eventually arriving in Canberra. This would prove to be daunting for the most adventurous of backpackers, but for elite level athletes looking to overturn
some of the southern hemisphere’s best? It’s a virtual Everest climb.
Now consider the Pro14 schedule of the Toyota Cheetahs. A Saturday afternoon tussle in Dublin means departing OR Tambo on a Wednesday night and arriving in Ireland on Thursday morning. A two-hour time difference (and overnight flight) means little to no effect is felt by the players and there’s no need to disrupt existing sleeping patterns.
It comes as no surprise that rumours have since circulated that the Free Staters and the Kings may be joined by a slew of their countrymen. Not only would a move up north be an equaliser on the playing field, but the financial implications may prove to be too good to refuse. Its near impossible for sponsors to quantify the brand recognition benefits of TV coverage; but were they to receive exposure in the highly attractive UK and EU market, you could certainly argue that they’d collect more bang for their buck.
The Under-19 Currie Cup is a competition that has historically been unkind to the Cell C Sharks. Indeed, it was ten years ago that the union saw its one and only title, and the approach of junior recruitment has been one of individual player quality over quantity.
In essence, this has meant that success was determined by the emergence of a few junior players to the senior ranks, rather than the success of the team as a whole. In 2015, the squad ended the season with a solitary victory in twelve games, but it was a year that produced both Tristan Blewett and Sbu Nkosi. The same can be said for 2011, which first saw the emergence of Franco Marais and Robert du Preez Junior. A fifth-place finish was again deemed irrelevant to this net result.
And while its fair to say that the Cell C Sharks have produced some superb performers from their own ranks, Gary Teichmann took a somewhat more sustainable approach when taking over the reigns as CEO. The former Springbok captain targeted junior development as one of his KPI’s and assured the local rugby fraternity that not only would the age-group teams look to bring home silverware, but an added focus would be placed on supporting home-grown talent from within the borders of KwaZulu-Natal. Never again would the likes of Ruan Combrinck and Jesse Kriel make their names at other unions, after slipping through the proverbial hands of the powers that be at JONSSON KINGS PARK.
This has manifested in the incredibly successful squad of 2018, which has not only gone unbeaten after the first round of this year’s tournament, but routinely fields a starting XV with 50% locally-produced talent.
Mike Vowles, who headed up the Next Generation Sharks Programme in 2017, has worked closely with Under-19 Head Coach Sean Everitt to ensure a steady stream of future superstars. “The aim is to help these young players achieve their rugby goals, in the hope that when they have finished school, they have the opportunity to play for the Cell C Sharks” he explains.
“The programme helps to bridge the gap between the Sharks and schools in KwaZulu-Natal, as many potentially great players are lost to other provinces straight out of school. The Sharks are providing multiple forms of assistance by giving them access to dieticians, sports psychologists, mentors and coaches. It’s then up to the individual to decide how much they want to get out of the programme. We want the guys who grow up in KZN, to stay in KZN and play for the Cell C Sharks”.
One of the hallmarks of the current squad is its utmost humility and the trust that every player has in the man standing beside him. Hooker Fezokuhle Mbatha is a consistent lineout thrower, open-side flanker Vian Fourie is a fetcher of note and No8 Phepsi Buthelezi provides the perfect synergy between the backline and front rankers.
Having filtered seamlessly into the Blitzbokke national Sevens squad, fullback Muller du Plessis is already a superstar in his own right, but the three-quarters are by no means a ‘one-man band’. In true Cell C Sharks fashion, they have identified young men who never quite found themselves in the schoolboy limelight.
Outside centre DJ Falconer performed admirably for Western Province in the 2017 Academy Week, but his current form has shown that the Rondebosch old boy belongs in the top tier, rather than being a second-stringer. Similarly, winger Caleb Dingaan has become the pride of his alma mater, Weston Agricultural College, while pivot Henry Chamberlain has shown that a spate of unfortunate injuries does not mean the end of the road for any teenage player.
Everitt sums up the success of the class of 2018 in his description of the culture that is now permeating throughout KwaZulu-Natal. “Last year was a great advertisement for KZN schoolboy rugby. There are a lot of very good schoolboy coaches in the province, and we can see how individual player skills have improved. It’s important that we look after our own and build a family.
“You maintain discipline in a squad, but we respect these young men as adults. We try to do more than just upskill the player. We want to educate him and mould him into a well-rounded human being”.
If the results of 2018 so far are anything to go by, the Cell C Sharks are set to reap the rewards of this careful planning for years to come. Bring on the Team of the Twenty20’s!
In an age of impatient ambition and ‘team-hopping’, Sean Everitt is the embodiment of selfless dedication to coaching and mentorship. A man who has coached the Cell C Sharks at every level of the game, his roots are humble and refreshingly old fashioned.
Originally from East London, his family moved to Dundee while Sean was still at school, coincidentally during a time when rugby was particularly strong in Northern KZN.
“Our whole school experience in Dundee was vastly different to kids in the bigger cities” he recalls. “We would walk or ride our bikes to school, spend hours on the field after school and really having a wholesome upbringing, typical of a small town”.
After matriculating, Everitt completed his compulsory military training and discovered that teaching would be his calling. He enrolled at Edgewood Teaching College before spending fifteen years in the profession. His first year was spent at Kloof Senior Primary, and it was here that Sean first fell in love with coaching.
“As a player, I had previously helped with the juniors at College Rovers, so I always did have an interest in coaching. I was living in Durban at this stage (rather than Kloof), so it was a great opportunity for me when I had a chance to move to Durban Prep (DPHS) and become heavily involved in their sporting program. As a result, I became coach of the KZN U13 Craven Week team and then the Sharks U19 team while still teaching”.
Whilst many pundits claim that club rugby is no longer a priority (compared to a professional setup), the Cell C Sharks certainly took note of this enthusiastic tutor and his dedication to College Rovers. A highly successful stint at Rovers was just the impetus needed for Everitt to become a full-time professional coach, and his obvious talents were noted in 2008.
The Cell C Sharks originally approached him to facilitate coaching courses for teachers from around KZN, before entrusting Sean with the reins of the Sharks U21 squad.
Under his guidance, the Cell C Sharks became accustomed to reaching finals of both the U19 and U21 Currie Cup competitions, producing a slew of future Springboks in the process.
It wasn’t long before Everitt was rewarded with a senior call-up, as Currie Cup Assistant Coach.
Victory in the 2013 competition was enough to earn him promotion to the biggest stage of Vodacom Super Rugby, where the team won the South African Conference the following year.
Sean’s career has truly come full circle though, as CEO Gary Teichmann has entrusted this former teacher with perhaps his most exciting role to date.
“My new role at the Cell C Sharks is an exciting one. I am back with the juniors, working with a very talented group of contracted players. My responsibility is to assist these guys with their development, so that they will become Sharks senior players in a few years or sooner. I will be U19 head coach and oversee the rugby program of the Sharks Academy”.
When asked how his approach to coaching juniors differs from senior players, his measured response is refreshingly candid.
“I don’t treat them any differently, because you have to respect them as adults”.
What he does acknowledge though, is how rewarding coaching youngsters can prove to be.
“Super Rugby players should be closer to ‘the finished product’, and decision-making can make or break their career. With juniors, it’s a case of upskilling the player and making him a well-rounded human being. Just like teaching, when you can see a boy rapidly growing into a disciplined young man, that can be extremely rewarding”.
The Cell C Sharks teams have routinely struggled in the annual Craven Week festival, but 2017 unearthed a particularly gifted batch of players.
The men from KZN managed to contest the unofficial final for the first time in many years, and other provinces began to take notice. In years past, many of KwaZulu-Natal’s brightest young talents have left the province, but Sean and his team must be credited for ensuring that most of these players will remain in Durban in 2018.
“Last year was a great advertisement for KZN schoolboy rugby. There are a lot of very good schoolboy coaches in the province at the moment, and we can see how individual player skills have improved. It’s important that we look after our own and build a family. The Next Generation Program helped us keep a number of talented players here, and it all started at the top. CEO Gary Teichmann made it a focus to look after KZN boys, and not let this talent slip through our fingers”.
With that said, what place is there for the late developer? What about the kid from the platteland or an ‘unfashionable’ school? Thankfully, the Sharks Academy has managed to fill this gap with resounding success.
“If a young player from any part of the country was looking to pursue a professional rugby career, the Sharks Academy is certainly a fantastic place to start”, he says with passionate resolve.
“It offers good study opportunities that are mixed with our rugby program, ensuring that we develop the person first, before we look at the rugby side of things. Parents can rest assured that their children are learning in smaller classes (than most universities) and getting that individual attention”.
What sets the Cell C Sharks apart is their commitment to making space for such an underdog.
The organization makes a conscious decision to not contract a large number of junior players, meaning there is a chance for such a player to prove himself and come through the system.
“That’s our job in the Sharks Academy, to develop guys who are not necessarily considered a big-name schoolboy player. The Cell C Sharks U19 and U21 coaches are working with these players on a daily basis, so if you perform as an Academy player and at club level, we are going to notice you”.
Sean is a man who is known to be firm but fair. Respectful to every player, he expects reciprocity in this respect and demands that players live according to a set of values. A strong work ethic is required for players to stand out; just doing your job is not going to cut it.
Sean has worked tirelessly for every opportunity that has come his way. If his young charges can play with half the passion that he brings to training sessions, the Kings Park trophy cabinet will soon be glistening with silverware.
We asked Sean for his thoughts on a few Cell C Sharks junior players, who have recently been called up to various SA U20 training camps.
JJ VAN DER MESCHT
JJ has been a star in the making for some time. He’s a big unit with great athletic ability and a standout performer. He was rewarded with his call-up to the SA Schools team last year and he also had an opportunity to train with our Super Rugby squad in pre-season.
PEPSI BUTHELEZI
Pepsi is someone who I’ve been fortunate to watch at DHS over the years, particularly as a Sevens player. He’s a sublime athlete and an all-round gentleman. He’s a strong academic and also made the SA Schools team. Pepsi also learnt a lot from the Super Rugby squad and he’s slotted back into the U19 squad with ease.
MULLER DU PLESSIS
He has been involved in the SA Sevens setup for a while and is a great talent. We monitored him closely during his time at Paarl Gimnasium and he’s very versatile (able to play wing, centre or fullback).
FEZ MBATHA
Fez has a great personality and is also a strong academic. He’s a very good rugby player and promising hooker. We have been monitoring his performances at Maritzburg College for some time and he’s also someone who has got the attention of the Baby Bok coaches.
The U19 Currie Cup is a competition that has historically been unkind to The Under-19 Currie Cup is a competition that has historically been unkind to the Cell C Sharks. Indeed, it was ten years ago that the union saw its one and only title, and the approach of junior recruitment has been one of individual player quality over quantity. In essence, this has meant that success was determined by the emergence of a few junior players to the senior ranks, rather than the success of the team as a whole. In 2015, the squad ended the season with a solitary victory in twelve games, but it was a year that produced both Tristan Blewett and Sbu Nkosi. The same can be said for 2011, which first saw the emergence of Franco Marais and Robert du Preez Junior. A fifth-place finish was again deemed irrelevant to this net result.
And while its fair to say that the Cell C Sharks have produced some superb performers from their own ranks, Gary Teichmann took a somewhat more sustainable approach when taking over the reigns as CEO. The former Springbok captain targeted junior development as one of his KPI’s and assured the local rugby fraternity that not only would the age-group teams look to bring home silverware, but an added focus would be placed on supporting home-grown talent from within the borders of KwaZulu-Natal. Never again would the likes of Ruan Combrinck and Jesse Kriel make their names at other unions,
after slipping through the proverbial hands of the powers that be at JONSSON KINGS PARK. This has manifested in the incredibly successful squad of 2018, which has not only gone unbeaten after the first round of this year’s tournament, but routinely fields a starting XV with 50% locally-produced talent.
Mike Vowles, who headed up the Next Generation Sharks Programme in 2017, has worked closely with Under-19 Head Coach Sean Everitt to ensure a steady stream of future superstars. “The aim is to help these young players achieve their rugby goals, in the hope that when they have finished school, they have the opportunity to play for the Cell C Sharks” he explains. “The programme helps to bridge the gap between the Sharks and schools in KwaZulu-Natal, as many potentially great players are lost to other provinces straight out of school. The Sharks are providing multiple forms of assistance by giving them access to dieticians, sports psychologists, mentors and coaches. It’s then up to the individual to decide how much they want to get out of the programme. We want the guys who grow up in KZN, to stay in KZN and play for the Cell C Sharks”.
One of the hallmarks of the current squad is its utmost humility and the trust that every player has in the man standing beside him. Hooker Fezokuhle Mbatha is a consistent lineout thrower, open-side flanker Vian Fourie is a fetcher of note and No8 Phepsi Buthelezi provides the perfect synergy between the backline and front rankers. Having filtered seamlessly into the Blitzbokke national Sevens squad, fullback Muller du Plessis is already a superstar in his own right, but the three-quarters are by no means a ‘one-man band’. In true Cell C Sharks fashion, they have identified young men who never quite found themselves in the schoolboy limelight. Outside centre DJ Falconer performed admirably for Western Province in the 2017 Academy Week, but his current form has shown that the Rondebosch old boy belongs in the top tier, rather than being a second-stringer. Similarly, winger Caleb Dingaan has become the pride of his alma mater, Weston Agricultural College, while pivot Henry Chamberlain has shown that a spate of unfortunate injuries does not mean the end of the road for any teenage player.
Everitt sums up the success of the class of 2018 in his description of the culture that is now permeating throughout KwaZulu-Natal. “Last year was a great advertisement for KZN schoolboy rugby. There are a lot of very good schoolboy coaches in the province, and we can see how individual player skills have improved. It’s important that we look after our own and build a family. “You maintain discipline in a squad, but we respect these young men as adults. We try to do more than just upskill the player. We want to educate him and mould him into a well-rounded human being”. If the results of 2018 so far are anything to go by, the Cell C Sharks are set to reap the rewards of this careful planning for years to come. Bring on the Team of the Twenty20’s!
In an age of impatient ambition and ‘team-hopping’, Sean Everitt is the embodiment of selfless dedication to coaching and mentorship.
A man who has coached the Cell C Sharks at every level of the game, his roots are humble and refreshingly old fashioned.
Originally from East London, his family moved to Dundee while Sean was still at school, coincidentally during a time when rugby was particularly strong in Northern KZN.
“Our whole school experience in Dundee was vastly different to kids in the bigger cities” he recalls. “We would walk or ride our bikes to school, spend hours on the field after school and really having a wholesome upbringing, typical of a small town”.
After matriculating, Everitt completed his compulsory military training and discovered that teaching would be his calling. He enrolled at Edgewood Teaching College before spending fifteen years in the profession. His first year was spent at Kloof Senior Primary, and it was here that Sean first fell in love with coaching.
“As a player, I had previously helped with the juniors at College Rovers, so I always did have an interest in coaching. I was living in Durban at this stage (rather than Kloof), so it was a great opportunity for me when I had a chance to move to Durban Prep (DPHS) and become heavily involved in their sporting programme. As a result, I became coach of the KZN U13 Craven Week team and then the Cell C Sharks U19 team while still teaching”.
Whilst many pundits claim that club rugby is no longer a priority (compared to a professional setup), the Cell C Sharks certainly took note of this enthusiastic tutor and his dedication to College Rovers. A highly successful stint at Rovers was just the impetus needed for Everitt to become a full-time professional coach, and his obvious talents were noted in 2008.
The Cell C Sharks originally approached him to facilitate coaching courses for teachers from around KZN, before entrusting Sean with the reins of the Sharks U21 squad.
Under his guidance, the Cell C Sharks became accustomed to reaching finals of both the U19 and
U21 Currie Cup competitions, producing a slew of future Springboks in the process.
It wasn’t long before Everitt was rewarded with a senior call-up, as Currie Cup Assistant Coach.
Victory in the 2013 competition was enough to earn him promotion to the biggest stage of Vodacom Super Rugby, where the team won the South African Conference the following year.
Sean’s career has truly come full circle though, as CEO Gary Teichmann has entrusted this former teacher with perhaps his most exciting role to date.
“My new role at the Cell C Sharks is an exciting one. I am back with the juniors, working with a very talented group of contracted players. My responsibility is to assist these guys with their development, so that they will become Cell C Sharks senior players in a few years or sooner. I will be U19 Head Coach and oversee the rugby programme of the Sharks Academy”.
When asked how his approach to coaching juniors differs from senior players, his measured response is refreshingly candid.
“I don’t treat them any differently, because you have to respect them as adults”.
What he does acknowledge though, is how rewarding coaching youngsters can prove to be.
“Vodacom Super Rugby players should be closer to ‘the finished product’, and decision-making can make or break their career. With juniors, it’s a case of upskilling the player and making him a well-rounded human being. Just like teaching, when you can see a boy rapidly growing into a disciplined young man, that can be extremely rewarding”.
The Cell C Sharks teams have routinely struggled in the annual Craven Week festival, but 2017 unearthed
a particularly gifted batch of players.
The men from KZN managed to contest the unofficial final for the first time in many years, and other provinces began to take notice. In years past, many of KwaZulu-Natal’s brightest young talents have left the province, but Sean and his team must be credited for ensuring that most of these players will remain in Durban in 2018.
“Last year was a great advertisement for KZN schoolboy rugby. There are a lot of very good schoolboy coaches in the province at the moment, and we can see how individual player skills have improved. It’s important that we look after our own and build a family. The Next Generation Programme helped us keep a number of talented players here, and it all started at the top. CEO Gary Teichmann made it a focus to look after KZN boys, and not to let this talent slip through our fingers”.
With that said, what place is there for the late developer? What about the kid from the platteland or an ‘unfashionable’ school? Thankfully, the Sharks Academy has managed to fill this gap with resounding success.
“If a young player from any part of the country was looking to pursue a professional rugby career, the
Sharks Academy is certainly a fantastic place to start”, he says with passionate resolve.
“It offers good study opportunities that are mixed with our rugby programme, ensuring that we develop the person first, before we look at the rugby side of things. Parents can rest assured that their children are learning in smaller classes (than most universities) and getting that individual attention”.
What sets the Cell C Sharks apart is their commitment to making space for such an underdog.
The organisation makes a conscious decision to not contract a large number of junior players, meaning there is a chance for such a player to prove himself and come through the system.
“That’s our job in the Sharks Academy, to develop guys who are not necessarily considered a big-name schoolboy player. The Cell C Sharks U19 and U21 coaches are working with these players on a daily basis, so if you perform as an Academy player and at club level, we are going to notice you”.
Sean is a man who is known to be firm but fair. Respectful to every player, he expects reciprocity in this respect and demands that players live according to a set of values. A strong work ethic is required for players to stand out; just doing your job is not going to cut it.
Sean has worked tirelessly for every opportunity that has come his way. If his young charges can play with half the passion that he brings to training sessions, the JONSSON KINGS PARK trophy cabinet will soon be glistening with silverware.
We asked Sean for his thoughts on a few Cell C Sharks junior players, who have recently been called up to various SA U20 training camps.
JJ VAN DER MESCHT
JJ has been a star in the making for some time. He’s a big unit with great athletic ability and a standout performer. He was rewarded with his call-up to the SA Schools team last year and he also had an opportunity to train with our Vodacom Super Rugby squad in pre-season.
PEPSI BUTHELEZI
Pepsi is someone who I’ve been fortunate to watch at DHS over the years, particularly as a Sevens player. He’s a sublime athlete and an all-round gentleman. He’s a strong academic and also made the SA Schools team. Pepsi also learnt a lot from the Vodacom Super Rugby squad and he’s slotted back into the U19 squad with ease.
MULLER DU PLESSIS
He has been involved in the SA Sevens setup for a while and is a great talent. We monitored him closely during his time at Paarl Gimnasium and he’s very versatile (able to play wing, centre or fullback).
FEZO MBATHA
Fezo has a great personality and is also a strong academic. He’s a very good rugby player and promising hooker. We have been monitoring his performances at Maritzburg College for some time and he’s also someone who has got the attention of the Baby Bok coaches.
With the current exodus of South African Vodacom Super Rugby players to foreign shores, concerned spectators and pundits have mulled over the foreseeable options to retain our best and brightest prospects. From the outset, the relative weakness of the Rand is completely out of the control of SARU and the various local franchises. They’re stuck between a rock & a hard place; on the one hand they need to offer their best players contracts that are somewhat comparative to foreign offers, on the other hands they run the risk of placing their entity under tremendous financial strain by making such offers. It’s a vicious cycle that would prove to be a challenge for the most astute of financial wizards. The proverbial arms race of acquiring playing talent has become so overwhelming in football that most soccer clubs in the major leagues of the world are in excessive debt, a practice that has spilled over into rugby union.
In the French Top 14, rightly regarded as the largest commercial market in the game, a salary cap requires clubs to limit their team payrolls to no more than 50% of annual turnover. And whilst this was scathingly criticised by wealthy club owners such as Mourad Boudjellal of Toulon, there was a sincere concern in the rest of the country that living beyond their means would lead to some smaller clubs folding. Bourgoin only avoided a bankruptcy filing in 2009 by players agreeing to large wage cuts and Montauban were relegated at the end of
the same season after filing for bankruptcy. Its also become apparent that the imbalance of power between the French Rugby Federation and the clubs has led to less depth for the national team, as French-qualified players struggle to break through into Top 14 squads filled with foreign legends of the game.
England are in danger of heading down the same path, as millionaire owners of English Premiership clubs look to raid the Southern hemisphere in search of silverware and short-term success. The question is whether being surrounded by All Blacks and Springboks will cause a talented young Englishman to lift his level of performance, or will it prevent him from playing at the highest level entirely. A recent £200 million investment into the Premiership by CVC Capital Partners (who have previously been involved in Formula 1 & the Moto GP) could further tip the scales in favour of clubs when Eddie Jones requests that his England internationals are rested or made available for training camps.
A completely left-field model is that of Japan, where clubs are not only beholden to commercial interests, they are quite literally owned by major corporations.
This was pioneered by Kobe Steel and has been followed by the likes of Toyota, Suntory, Toshiba and Yamaha. Although this direct capital investment into the game had meant millions in the pockets of showcase player ‘brands’ like Dan Carter, Japanese rugby still proudly identifies as amateur. Most of Carter’s teammates are employees of the corporate, rather than the actual club they play for. As ludicrous as this model may seem, the propensity for signing superstars has garnered excessive interest and led to massive growth in junior player participation. Despite their ‘second tier’ status, Japan has more registered rugby players than global powers such as Ireland, Argentina, Scotland and Wales.
There has been a subdued scepticism over the American model, where franchises are owned by Billionaires who do as they wish with the brand, hiring & firing coaches on a whim and even moving the team to a new city if they deem it to be personally and professionally preferable. To some extent, French and English clubs have their fair share of maverick owners, but the decline of historically powerful clubs
(particularly in England) has almost routinely been caused by a temperamental owner.
For all our inert self-deprecation and propensity to see anything European as preferable, South Africa may well have found the perfect mix of the old school and the new. South African franchises have their own unique internal structures, but there was previously no scope for outside, private investors taking control of a union. The Southern Kings flipped the script. Plagued by mismanagement under its previous administration, the Kings were thrown a lifeline when SARU confirmed that a 74% shareholding of the Pro14 newcomers was sold to a company that ambitiously called itself The Greatest Rugby Company in the Whole Wide World.
Aside from a good sense of humour, this consortium of mainly black businessmen from the Eastern Cape bring a wealth of corporate knowhow, and an undeniable passion for the region. A continued 26% stake, retained by the EPRU ensures that schools, clubs, provincial and franchise players enjoy the
Depending on who you speak to, schoolboy rugby is either South African rugby’s greatest asset, or its the major hindrance to the future prospects of the game. It has never been as highly publicised, scrutinized and professional as it is today. We’ve all heard the stories of schoolboy doping, player poaching and Directors of Rugby who are on salaries that most senior professional coaches yearn for. We seem to brush these dramatic storylines aside when rationalizing the positive impact that schoolboy rugby has on our sporting identity. We may not always compete with New Zealand franchises in every Vodacom Super Rugby fixture, but we certainly get the better of them at schoolboy level. The Baby Boks might have been humbled by England at the U20 Junior World Championship, but very few British schools leave these shores with South African sculps.
We place more and more pressure on the shoulders of these teenagers, and we prioritize results over all else, but there is a breaking point that seems to stoke the fires of rage within every spectator, parent and past pupil: foreign interference. We have known for some time that scouts from the UK, Ireland and France have infiltrated our provincial youth weeks; looking for supremely talented specimens with either the requisite passports, European ancestry or a willingness to embrace all things Francophone. They were said to be meeting players, parents and agents at nearby coffee shops or engaging
with clandestine whispers behind changerooms after a game.
Except that is no longer the case. European suiters have emerged from the shadows and are overtly investing in South African schoolboys and the proud institutions that they attend. In September 2017, Montpellier, in partnership with an unknown benefactor, launched a unique scholarship programme at Grey College.
The donor is said to be an anonymous international businessman who initiated the Badawi Legacy Scholarship Programme. It enables learners to attend Grey College on a means-tested basis, where they demonstrate potential in leadership and/or academia, and particularly the sport of rugby. The three areas in which this programme benefits the school includes the introduction of French as a voluntary subject, funding support for at least fifty scholarship holders and a commitment from Montpellier to make resources available to Grey College (i.e. sharing coaching methods and exchange programmes for rugby coaches).
Scouting the next generation of professional rugby players used to be a relatively straightforward business. Essentially, you looked for the standout. The one player on the field who was so clearly head and shoulders above the other twenty-nine on the pitch. That even the most unaccustomed of casual rugby observers would make the cringe-worthy proclamation that ‘he’ll be a Springbok one day’. The next step is to ascertain if they have the capabilities to step up. This gem needs to be the shining light amid a sea of other rough diamonfs. Think Craven Week, Easter rugby festivals or for the late developer, the U19 Currie Cup.
At Varsity Cup or U21 Currie Cup level, it comes time to measure the intangibles of the individual. Are they ‘coachable’ and able to assimilate to new surroundings and team cultures, are they prepared to sacrifice the creature comforts of a large franchise, in order to rack up valuable game time at a smaller, unfashionable union; and do they possess the discipline to forgo the excitement of a student existence, in order to live the clean lifestyle required to make it at the highest level of the game. Finding such a player has never been more difficult than it is today. School leavers are apprehensive, stressed and filled with self-doubt; rugby players being no different.
Assuming that we’re talking about supremely talented
youngsters between the ages of 17 – 21, one can effectively dub them members of the ‘Generation Z’ cultural subset. The first peer group to be born with smartphones, tablets and social media are victims of their technological advantages. The anxiety caused by the constant stream of content, messages and notifications have indirectly manifested into a short-sighted need for instant gratification. The dopamine fix that emanates from receiving a like or comment has left them wanting the newest, the shiniest and most different.
But how does this relate to a sporting context you may ask? To answer this, we need only look to Old Trafford and the considerable fall from grace of Manchester United. The backbone of Sir Alex Ferguson’s legacy largely emanated from humble, homegrown talents such as the Neville brothers, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs and David Beckham. So focused were these prodigal talents, that Paul Scholes refused to sign with an agent for the duration of his career. He simply didn’t see the point of fielding offers from other clubs when all he wanted was to pour all his attention into winning trophies with the only badge he ever wished to represent. Beckham was one of the first sportsmen to engage with the media and cultivate a public persona,
and Sir Alex quickly gave his most gifted jewel the boot.
Contrast this with Paul Pogba’s fallout with Jose Mourinho or the widespread practice of players demanding a release from their contracts when their excessive salary demands aren’t met. It infuriates the old guard of veterans and coaches, with a generational rift ensuing. AS Roma FC’s veteran defender Daniele De Rossi once exclaimed that when he saw younger players film live Instagram videos from inside the locker room before a game, he felt like ‘taking a baseball bat to their teeth’. This excessive hyperbole is clearly unwarranted, but it often transfers into the stands, where diehard supporters want to see players as emotionally shattered as they are, following a loss on the field.
From a South African rugby standpoint, the ‘ADHD generation’ has recently caught the ire of pundits and spectators, who accuse them of constantly seeking greener grass. Not only are South African athletes (of all sporting codes) aware of the opportunities that present themselves in the UK and Europe, but now the advent of the MLR has opened the door to pursue the American dream. And whilst it is true to say that the migration of talent to foreign shores has been a reality since sport turned professional, there is a perception that the age at which our brightest stars are heading afar has become increasingly more juvenile.
Aside from the controversial relationship between Grey College and Montpellier, matriculants from other prominent schools are said to be heading for the EU before they’ve even set foot at Craven Week.
What makes this all the more concerning is that inter-school recruitment practices have seen an overconcentration of the top schoolboy talent within a small handful of prominent institutions. The unhealthy reality is that these powerhouses have second and third teams that would simply demolish many a proud 1st XV. This consolidation of supremely gifted teens has made it all the easier for European scouts and academy managers to cherry-pick thee most illustrious fruits from our famed production line.
Despite this sense of panic and despair, the good news is that South African administrators are cultivating exciting new strategies to hold on to the Springboks of the future. The Cell C Sharks campaign to recruit KZN schoolboys is very much a mirror of Man United’s abovementioned ‘Class of 92’, whilst Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus has a creative strategy of his own.
Rather than SA Rugby narrowing their financial focus into contracting a select group of Springboks, they are instead choosing to top up the franchise contracts of PONI players (Players of National Interest).
Commitment clauses will also incentivise young players to stay in the country; rewarded them for a long-term commitment to South Africa. The result will be more settled Vodacom Super Rugby squads; experienced combinations and the subsequent continuity that is required to build serious title challenges.
It was another strong showing for the Junior Springboks at the recent Under 20 World Championships.
The side lost out to eventual winners France in the semi-final before they trounced Argentina in the bronze medal match to finish third for the second consecutive year. It must be said that they did only lose one match in the competition which was that semi-final.
What was remarkable about the team was the number of Cell C Sharks players in the set-up.
It must be said that it was to be expected considering how dominant the Cell C Sharks were in the Under 20 Championship last year where they won the competition and went unbeaten throughout.
All in all there were twelve Cell C Sharks players in the squad of 28 and was led by the Cell C Sharks ’ own Phendulani ‘Phepsi’ Buthelezi.
Amongst the twelve were four backline players including two scrumhalves, and two outside backs.
Throughout the tournament the Cell C Sharks players were hugely influential and in the back division Jaden Hendrickse ended up amongst the players nominated for Breakthrough Player of the Year at the conclusion of the competition.
Sanele Nohamba was also hugely influential and the live-wire scrumhalf was as crucial as Hendrickse at the base of the scrum.
The forwards were hugely significant in their run to the semi-final with the likes of Buthelezi, JJ van der Mescht, Dylan Richardson, Celimphilo Gumede and Fezokhule Mbhata all proving that they are quality to watch.
The Junior Springboks were drawn in a group with Scotland, Georgia and New Zealand. With just one team qualifying for the semi-finals from the group the clash between South Africa and New Zealand was going to be the decider.
The game will be remembered for Van der Mescht’s lumbering bolt down the touchline to score a memorable try in the corner.
Both Hendrickse and Nohamba scored points with the former notching up nine while the latter scored four – two crucial conversions.
In the end the Junior Springboks held on to take a memorable win 25-17.
In the semi-final it just didn’t come together for the side and they were smashed on defence by a well-drilled and motivated France side.
Discipline was also the undoing for the Baby Boks and despite both sides only scoring one try, South Africa’s through Fezo Mbatha, the difference came from the boot of Louis Carobel.
The French flyhalf kicked five penalties which gave them a 20-7 win.
After the devastation of a semi-final loss, Buthelezi and his men had to pick themselves up for a clash with hosts Argentina for the bronze medal.
Bearing in mind that Argentina had come to South Africa earlier in the year and beaten the Junior Boks 34-33 it was going to be another humdinger.
It didn’t turn out to be that way as South Africa showed just how much they had improved by demolishing the hosts 41-16.
The Cell C Sharks boys once again proved their importance as Van der Mescht and Nohamba scored tries while Thaakir Abrahams scored twice in a dominant display.
Nohamba added 11 points from the tee while Hendrickse just added one conversion.
All-in-all the KZN boys scored 33 of the 41 points that the Junior Springboks scored in their final game of the competition.
At the conclusion, Jaden Hendrickse finished as the seventh highest points scorer with 41 points across the competition while Sanele Nohamba was the tenth highest point scorer with 33 points.
On the try scoring front, JJ Van der Mescht and Thaakir Abrahams were tied with the fifth most tries scored in the competition – three.
From the calculations done, incredibly, players from KZN scored 121 of the 164 points that the Junior Boks scored throughout the competition.
That is just under 74% of all the points scored. That included 14 tries, 15 conversions and seven penalties.
Barely six months since completing his matric exams, JJ van der Mescht has already established himself as a consistent performer for the Cell C Sharks Under-19 team, as well as earning a senior debut in the SuperSport Challenge. Standing at well over two metres tall and already a member of the Vodacom Super Rugby pre-season squad, this Glenwood Old Boy has greater honours in his sights. We caught up with JJ and gave him a few word association questions to find out what makes him tick!
1. Food - Braaivleis
2. Movie - Draft day
3. TV Show - S.W.A.T
4. Music - All types of music
5. Pet Hate - Nothing Much!
6. Durban - Great Weather, awesome vibe and really cool people
7. Work - Practice time as a Rugby player
8. Superstitions - Don’t have any
9. Social Media - Facebook, Instagram
10. Studying - Sports Management
11. Free Time - Going to the beach and being around my friends
12. Fear - Losing my Mom
13. Goals - Becoming the best player and person I can possibly be
14. Success - Playing in the Grant Khomo Week twice, Craven Week and SA schools twice each. Playing KZN Sevens and playing for the Cell C Sharks XV team
15. Influences - My father and mother and my family and the love of the game of rugby
16. The Sharks - It’s a great union that looks after its players and gives young players great opportunities
17. Springboks - Something I would love to achieve, I would love to play for the Springboks one day !
18. 5 Years Time - To play Super Rugby for the Cell C Sharks and play for the Springboks.
There are those that are destined for great things. They are people that carry themselves a certain way, behave, speak and interact in a way that is effortlessly approachable and humble. The Cell C Sharks have uncovered one of those gems in Phendulani ‘Phepsi’ Buthelezi. Still cocooned in the nest of his professional career, the 2018 Cell C Sharks Under-19 captain has made his debut for the Cell C Sharks and trumped that with a first start for the franchise in the 2019 Vodacom Super Rugby campaign.
Coming from KwaZulu-Natal’s North Coast, the Hluhluwe resident was spotted at an early age and moved to the big city to take up a scholarship at Durban High School.
The youngest of four siblings, Phendulani followed in his brother Blessing’s footsteps down to DHS. Having a brother there made the transition into boarding school life easier for the star.
Buthulezi was on the path to a career in professional rugby from an early age. Provincial age group rugby was the norm and it culminated in his selection for the SA Under 20 side last year.
“I played Zululand Under 12 and then when I was under 13 I wasn’t selected for the KZN U13 side.
“At DHS I made the Grant Khomo Week side (KZN U16) when I was under 15, and then made it again the following year.
“I was selected for Craven Week for two years and was privileged to captain the side in my matric year where we got to the final.
“Unfortunately we lost to the Lions in that final,” he reminisced.
Many of the most influential leaders are those that encompass the traits of approachability and humility.
Leadership is a role that comes naturally to some. Galvanising, trusting, and being trusted, by a group of players is a key to strong leadership. Buthelezi doesn’t consciously seek out the role but feels comfortable in it.
“I don’t go into a side wanting to be the captain,” he said frankly. “The decision is always made by the players around me. I think I am a person that can get the best out of others.
“For the Cell C Sharks Under 19 side I just said to the guys that if this is what they want then I’ll take on the responsibility but it definitely isn’t my main goal.”
The 2018 Under 19 Provincial Championship was the first occasion that many would have seen Buthelezi in action. He led the side with aplomb, getting the best out of a talented group of players as they thrashed the Bulls in the final.
“We sat down as a team after the season and we just couldn’t believe that we had just won the competition.
“We were the first Cell C Sharks side to go through a competition unbeaten and the first to win the competition in ten years.
“It was a really special season for all us and to represent the KZN brand like that was a privilege.”
Ending a ten year drought for an age group trophy was special but one of his fondest rugby memories was in the navy blue and gold of Durban High School.
“One of my best rugby moments has to be beating Glenwood on their old boys day, on TV!
“I still get goose bumps thinking about it!”
From his days as a lock at high school, Buthelezi progressed to the loose trio. He is currently on the side of the scrum for the Cell C Sharks but hopes that he will make a professional career out of playing at the back of the scrum.
“Number Eight is a position that I would like to play regularly. I don’t mind playing other positions and I will play where I am needed but number eight is my preferred position.
” Buthelezi is involved in the SA Under 20 set-up again this year and will be hoping to gain selection to his second World Cup, to be held in Argentina in June.
Learning from the likes of Damian Willemse, who had Vodacom Super Rugby experience during the 2018 World Cup, was important. This year Buthelezi will be one of the players imparting his knowledge on others.
“Being selected last year for the SA Under 20 side helped me grow as a player,” He explained. “Playing against quality players and getting that exposure at such a high level was a great experience.
“I think having played Vodacom Super Rugby is a massive advantage going into the World Cup. I want to use this experience to become a better player and to help other guys in the squad.”
There are moments that are a cut above for players and there are instances that might go by in a heartbeat. Buthelezi’s Vodacom Super Rugby debut was one of those moments.
“I was in awe from the moment that I was announced in the squad to go to Singapore!
“We have so many great loose forwards at the Cell C Sharks and to get picked ahead of some of those guys was a huge honour for me.
“Being in Singapore for the first time with guys like Beast (Mtawarira) and Coenie (Oosthuizen was surreal and the week went so quickly.
“After the match, receiving my Cell C Sharks cap from Beast was a moment that I will cherish forever.”
Slipping the green and gold jumper over his shoulders is the youngster’s ultimate goal but he has narrowed his objectives down to focus more on the here and now than on the future.
“I just want to learn as much as I can from guys like Dan and Jean-Luc du Preez and Philip van der Walt.
“They have got so much experience and have been exposed to rugby at such a high level that they are guys
that I can learn so much from,” Buthelezi mentioned.
Despite the rapid rise to Super Rugby, Buthelezi understands the importance of a foundation and is currently tackling an academic qualification too.
“I am currently studying part-time through UNISA,” the 20 year-old said. “I am in my second year of a civil engineering degree.”
The year was 2003 and the KZN rugby fraternity was abuzz with news of a rising star. The dashing Head Boy of DHS was a lanky all-rounder, said to be an impressive cricketer and mature beyond his years. Alistair Hargreaves went on to fulfil all that early promise, and then some. A fixture for the Sharks in both the Currie Cup and Super Rugby, his four Springbok caps culminated in selection for the World XV and a sojourn to the European Champion Saracens. Its fair to say that he reached the pinnacle of the game.
Fast forward fifteen years and the self-same excitement has filled the Berea. Durban High School once again has a leader amongst men, and the reports seem to suggest a similar upward trajectory to that enjoyed by young Alistair.
Phendulani Buthelezi is affectionately known as ‘Pepsi’, and after spending a few minutes in his presence, its clearly an apt moniker. His effervescent charm and energy has proven to be one of the key factors in the rugby revival of The Horseflies. The past decade had proven to be a difficult period in their 152-year history. They were no longer producing professional rugby players and arch-rivals Glenwood seemed to have a phycological hold on their crosstown neighbours.
There were no more Anton Breslers, BJ Bothas or Jody Jennekers. Change was needed. The first signal of intent was the appointment of Scott Mathie as Director of Rugby. A passionate past pupil of the school, he also enjoyed an impressive professional playing career, spanning two continents. The former scrumhalf of the Bulls, Sharks, Leeds Carnegie & Sale Sharks was just what the doctor ordered. Ever the man-manager, Mathie proved to be the perfect mentor for a batch of raw and eager young talents. Amongst the Class of 2017 was Buthelezi, a Mtubatuba local who seemed to have that intangible x-factor that all special talents possess. A member of the KZN Athletics Team in 2013 and 2014, it was at the U16 Grant Khomo Week that the rest of the country sat up and took notice.
Whilst clearly a prominent figure in the revival of DHS rugby, Pepsi is quick to allocate credit to his former coach. “What Mr. Mathie did was allow us to play rugby the DHS way. We don’t always have the size of other schools, so we need to play a quick, running game with creativity & offloads. In past years we were conservative; now DHS are attacking space, instead of running into people”. Amongst others, he credits Mathie for creating a more professional environment. “There are so many good coaches within the structures now. The conditioning has picked up and it’s a school on the rise”.
But where did it all begin for young Buthelezi, and how exactly did he come to be known as Pepsi? “I moved to an English school in Grade 3 (Hluluwe Primary) and some of the teachers struggled to pronounce my first name, so my friends came up with the nickname Pepsi and it just stuck”. A native of the North Coast, he was first spotted by DHS coaches whilst attending Zululand U12 Rugby trials in Grade 6. There was no need for a recruitment pitch though, as he had a pre-existing relationship with ‘School’. “My older brother was already at DHS on a rugby scholarship, so it was an easy decision for me. He’s now studying & playing at Varsity College, so I still have that support structure here”.
It soon becomes apparent that we are in the midst of a supremely family-orientated young man. So much so, that it even extends to his choice of tertiary studies. “I would like to study Civil Engineering, because my (late) father used to have a construction company and he really loved it. I spent a lot of time with him on site and I would like to rebuild his company one day”. One of five siblings in a close-knit family, the distance between home and school was initially challenging for the termly boarder. It proved to be a significant factor in his decision to sign with the Sharks. “From a rugby perspective, this is my home union. I know the coaches and they know me. But I also want to stay close to my mom. She’s getting older and I didn’t want her to have to travel to another province to watch my home games”.
Missing important fixtures is never easy for a parent; particularly when your supremely gifted child has represented both SA Schools and SA U18 Sevens. These achievements are now distant memories and a fresh challenge awaits. The current batch of Sharks U19s are said to be one of the most talented groups in recent memory, largely made up of the successful KZN Craven Week team of last year. “There are a few guys from other provinces, like the Western Cape, but we played against them for many years and all know each other. We’ve come together now. We know what we want to do this year, and what we need to produce. We have to keep working hard and stay humble”.
Currently 102kg and 1.88m, an old-fashioned South African mindset may tempt coaches to mould Pepsi into an Openside Flank, in the traditional ‘fetcher’ role. He’s unfazed by the suggestion though, believing that modern loose forwards should be equally adept in all facets of the game. “You need to be able to cover all 3 positions and play every role. A fetcher at the breakdown, ball-carrier and lineout option, if needed”. Physically imposing, technically astute and one of the Sharks’ most lethal weapons in open play, it would be a brave man who would bet against Pepsi Buthelezi becoming a permanent fixture in the Sharks jersey for years to come.
When Howard Schnellenberger took over as head coach of the University of Miami Hurricanes in 1979, he had two goals in mind. To bring the masses back to the Miami Gardens arena, and to embark on an aggressive recruitment campaign, targeting the best local schoolboy talent in the city. He believed the two went hand in hand, allowing Miamians to watch a team that truly represented the region, and encouraging players to stay as close to their families as possible. This simple strategy worked a charm, culminating in the squad winning the national title within five years of being the laughing stock of college football. A similar approach was undertaken by the Cell C Sharks in 2017, when they successfully contracted some of the brightest starts of their superbly talented impressive KZN Craven Week team. The fruits were clear for all to see.; an unprecedented clean sweep of the U19 Currie Cup last year, with a handful of rough diamonds emerging as members of the Vodacom Super Rugby training squad. One such athlete was Fezokhule ‘Fez’ Mbatha.
Hailing from Empangeni on the KZN North Coast, Mbatha shone at a 2011 KZNRU Talent Identification Tournament, a festival of rugby in partnership with the Department of Sport and Recreation. Mbatha was promptly offered a scholarship to one of the province’s leading traditional rugby schools, Maritzburg College. “The Maritzburg College family has done so much for me”, Mbatha explains with an air of reminiscence. “From the moment you arrive, it gives you the best platform to excel. They gave me an opportunity to do that with my rugby career and they’ll always have a special place in my heart”. He goes on to wax lyrical about the values required of every College boy: Honesty, integrity, commitment and respect.
Not surprisingly, it’s the same set of values that he attributes to the awe-inspiring success of the U19 group last year. “It gives me Goosebumps speaking about that U19 squad. From the day we arrived at JONSSON KINGS PARK, everybody wanted to work hard for each other. Once we had that, the performances on the field just came naturally. We enjoyed each other’s company and that was authentic. It wasn’t just talking about a family environment, it was genuine. Even now, we’re still living together like brothers, so you really cherish these relationships.”
Having represented SA Schools in 2017, Fez would have undoubtedly fielded offers from several professional unions, but for the proudly KZN product, there was only ever going to be one destination. “One of the reasons that made me decide to join the Sharks was the fact that I grew up in Richards Bay. I wanted to stay in Durban and be as close to family as possible. I’ve always supported the team and looked up to the likes of Beast & Bismarck. They were my idols and I’ve wanted to be like them since I was young. There’s also such a welcoming, homely vibe at the stadium. I’m a big believer that when your heart is happy, that transfers into better performances on the field.”
Given his striking displays over the past twelve months, it came as no surprise that Mbatha was mentioned as one of forty-five players selected to join the SA Rugby Academy. Launched in 2015, the programme features the best under 19 and under 20 players in the country; aiming to balance formal education, high performance training and player welfare. In a nutshell, converting talented teens into consistent, mentally tough professionals.
And whilst most of these players look to Vodacom Super Rugby as the culmination of a four-year plan, Fezokhule was forced to make the shift in record time. His debut in the southern hemisphere’s showpiece regional event may have been brief, but it is a worthy achievement for not only the man himself, but indeed the personification of the Cell C Sharks’ commitment to nurturing homegrown talent.
A schoolboy just fifteen months ago, one would think that the reality of standing toe to toe with legends of the game may prove to be daunting for the aggressive young hooker. Fortunately, the spirit and cohesion that he enjoyed with the under 19’s seems to permeate throughout the union, making such an incredible leap all the easier to comprehend. “In any environment when you’re new and surrounded by legends, you feel a bit like a grade eight on your first day of school. It was quite intimidating at first, but the senior guys made it so easy for us. A few of the under 19’s joined the senior squad for pre-season, and they were so welcoming. I felt at home immediately.”
With the World Rugby U20 Championship and Currie Cup set to follow this season, Mbatha would be forgiven for getting ahead of himself. After all, he did square up against the legendary Schalk Brits at Loftus and held his own. “This year is about learning, for me”, he says with a reassuring temperance. “To be around the likes of Akker van der Merwe, Craig Burden, Chiliboy and Kerron van Vuuren, I’m just trying to take in as much information as I can, to become a better rugby player.”
It is at this point that it becomes abundantly clear to the Cell C Sharks faithful; not only is the playing talent there, but a sustainably humble mindset persists as well. In a World Cup year, senior players may retire or possibly move on overseas. This is simply a reality of professional sport. But there is a warm comfort that comes with the progress of these young men with black & white coursing through their veins. The future is indeed exceedingly bright.
The supposed indifference of the Cell C Sharks to junior recruitment has been a sore point for some time. Upon his appointment as CEO, Gary Teichmann spoke of a renewed commitment to not only employee the best and brightest talents in the country, but also to ensure that top KwaZulu-Natal schoolboys remain in the province. Aided by Eduard Coetzee and Playing Affairs Manager Michael Horak, the union has stuck to their word by signing a slew of teenagers who will soon become household names. Strong KZN Craven Week showings in 2017 and 2018 have been supplemented by an Under-19 Currie Cup team that has slayed all comers this season. Of course, there is still a need to scour the length and breadth of the country for outstanding out-of-province superstars, and this has been masterfully achieved through the acquisition of Western Province quartet; Hanru Jacobs, Emile van Heerden, Evan Roos and Darren Hendricks.
What sets the Cell C Sharks apart from its contemporaries is an undeniable commitment to scout quality over quantity, meaning that there are more than enough places in junior Currie Cup squads for Sharks Academy standouts, who are often late starters or did not receive significant first XV exposure during their time at school. Players such as Franco Marais come to mind, who himself arrived in Durban as a paying Academy student, looking for chance to prove his mettle.
Change is afoot in Durban and as FC Barcelona have shown, there is no better way to establish a sporting dynasty than to invest in the youth who hold the badge close to their hearts. This new generation will become a factory of rugby excellence, ensuring a steady stream of well-rounded match winners and consummate professionals. They will soon learn what it means to be a Sharks and how they’re expected to conduct themselves, both on and off the pitch. These are indeed exciting times for the Cell C Sharks faithful, as the promise of silverware goes from prospect to expectation. Let the good times roll!
KZN BORN AND BRED
Celimpilo Gumede (Durban High School)
The strong and skilful loose forward has taken over the reins of DHS’s leadership from current Cell C Sharks Under-19 captain, Phepsi Buthelezi. The rise of the Mubatuba local is a success story of the KZNRU Talent Identification program, where his form in 2012 saw the Horseflies offer Gumede a bursary, which he accepted with alacrity. As Head Boy of such a respected school, Celimpilo’s maturity and calm demeanour will be an asset at JONSSON KINGS PARK.
Rynhardt Jonker (Glenwood High School)
When your father is one of the world’s best referees in recent memory, you’d be expected to have a phenomenal knowledge of the game. And while Jonker was a raw talent in Grade 11, his 2018 performances have shown that he is more than capable of turning educated theory into jaw-dropping practice. A playmaker and brave general, his ability to draw the attention of defenders creates an abundance of space for his outside backs.
Lwandile Menze (Durban High School)
Whilst not the tallest of players, Menze brings an intensity and passion that often sees him brush off much larger opponents. His low centre of gravity, peripheral vision and a lethal hand-off are testament to the intellectual mentorship of DHS coach Scott Mathie, a former scrumhalf for both the Bulls and the Cell C Sharks.
Jaden Hendrikse (Glenwood High School)
Injuries are a bitter pill to swallow for the most experienced of senior professionals, but its effect on schoolboys is difficult to fathom. An SA Schools representative in 2017, Hendrickse missed out on Craven Week this year due to an ailment, but the Cell C Sharks had seen enough to know what a superb investment his signature would be.
Lunga Ncube (Glenwood Boys High)
Yet another SA Schools representative, Ncube is ever the modern second rower. With speed, size and a jaw-dropping work rate, his athleticism provides a versatility that could also see Lunga utilised as a loose forward. His raw power was amplified by the fantastic conditioning facilities at Glenwood, and this will only be improved as he gets to grips with the professional game.
It was another strong showing for the Junior Springboks at the recent Under 20 World Championships.
The side lost out to eventual winners France in the semi-final before they trounced Argentina in the bronze medal match to finish third for the second consecutive year. It must be said that they did only lose one match in the competition which was that semi-final.
What was remarkable about the team was the number
of Cell C Sharks players in the set-up.
It must be said that it was to be expected considering how dominant the Cell C Sharks were in the Under 20 Championship last year where they won the competition and went unbeaten throughout.
All in all there were twelve Cell C Sharks players in the squad of 28 and was led by the Cell C Sharks ’ own Phendulani ‘Phepsi’ Buthelezi.
Amongst the twelve were four backline players including two scrumhalves, and two outside backs.
Throughout the tournament the Cell C Sharks players were hugely influential and in the back division Jaden Hendrickse ended up amongst the players nominated for Breakthrough Player of the Year at the conclusion of the competition.
Sanele Nohamba was also hugely influential and the live-wire scrumhalf was as crucial as Hendrickse at the base of the scrum.
The forwards were hugely significant in their run to the semi-final with the likes of Buthelezi, JJ van der Mescht, Dylan Richardson, Celimphilo Gumede and
Fezokhule Mbhata all proving that they are quality to watch.
The Junior Springboks were drawn in a group with Scotland, Georgia and New Zealand. With just one team qualifying for the semi-finals from the group the clash between South Africa and New Zealand was going to be the decider.
The game will be remembered for Van der Mescht’s lumbering bolt down the touchline to score a memorable try in the corner.
Both Hendrickse and Nohamba scored points with the former notching up nine while the latter scored four – two crucial conversions.
In the end the Junior Springboks held on to take a memorable win 25-17.
In the semi-final it just didn’t come together for the side and they were smashed on defence by a well-drilled and motivated France side.
Discipline was also the undoing for the Baby Boks and despite both sides only scoring one try, South Africa’s through Fezo Mbatha, the difference came from the boot of Louis Carobel.
The French flyhalf kicked five penalties which gave them a 20-7 win.
After the devastation of a semi-final loss, Buthelezi and his men had to pick themselves up for a clash with hosts Argentina for the bronze medal.
Bearing in mind that Argentina had come to South Africa earlier in the year and beaten the Junior Boks 34-33 it was going to be another humdinger.
It didn’t turn out to be that way as South Africa showed just how much they had improved by demolishing the hosts 41-16.
The Cell C Sharks boys once again proved their importance as Van der Mescht and Nohamba scored tries while Thaakir Abrahams scored twice in a dominant display.
Nohamba added 11 points from the tee while Hendrickse just added one conversion.
All-in-all the KZN boys scored 33 of the 41 points that the Junior Springboks scored in their final game of the competition.
At the conclusion, Jaden Hendrickse finished as the seventh highest points scorer with 41 points across the competition while Sanele Nohamba was the tenth highest point scorer with 33 points.
On the try scoring front, JJ Van der Mescht and Thaakir Abrahams were tied with the fifth most tries scored in the competition – three.
From the calculations done, incredibly, players from KZN scored 121 of the 164 points that the Junior Boks scored throughout the competition.
That is just under 74% of all the points scored. That included 14 tries, 15 conversions and seven penalties.
There are those that are destined for great things.
They are people that carry themselves a certain way, behave, speak and interact in a way that is effortlessly approachable and humble.
The Cell C Sharks have uncovered one of those gems in Phendulani ‘Phepsi’ Buthelezi.
Still cocooned in the nest of his professional career, the 2018 Cell C Sharks Under-19 captain has made his debut for the Cell C Sharks and trumped that with a
first start for the franchise in the 2019 Vodacom Super Rugby campaign.
Coming from KwaZulu-Natal’s North Coast, the Hluhluwe resident was spotted at an early age and moved to the big city to take up a scholarship at Durban High School.
The youngest of four siblings, Phendulani followed in his brother Blessing’s footsteps down to DHS. Having
a brother there made the transition into boarding school life easier for the star.
Buthulezi was on the path to a career in professional rugby from an early age. Provincial age group rugby was the norm and it culminated in his selection for the SA Under 20 side last year.
“I played Zululand Under 12 and then when I was under 13 I wasn’t selected for the KZN U13 side.
“At DHS I made the Grant Khomo Week side (KZN U16) when I was under 15, and then made it again the
following year.
“I was selected for Craven Week for two years and was privileged to captain the side in my matric year where we got to the final.
“Unfortunately we lost to the Lions in that final,” he reminisced.
Many of the most influential leaders are those that encompass the traits of approachability and humility.
Leadership is a role that comes naturally to some. Galvanising, trusting, and being trusted, by a group of players is a key to strong leadership. Buthelezi doesn’t consciously seek out the role but feels comfortable in
it.
“I don’t go into a side wanting to be the captain,” he said frankly. “The decision is always made by the players around me. I think I am a person that can get the best out of others.
“For the Cell C Sharks Under 19 side I just said to the guys that if this is what they want then I’ll take on the responsibility but it definitely isn’t my main goal.”
The 2018 Under 19 Provincial Championship was the first occasion that many would have seen Buthelezi in action. He led the side with aplomb, getting the best out of a talented group of players as they thrashed the Bulls in the final.
“We sat down as a team after the season and we just couldn’t believe that we had just won the competition.
“We were the first Cell C Sharks side to go through a competition unbeaten and the first to win the competition in ten years.
“It was a really special season for all us and to represent the KZN brand like that was a privilege.”
Ending a ten year drought for an age group trophy was special but one of his fondest rugby memories was in the navy blue and gold of Durban High School.
“One of my best rugby moments has to be beating Glenwood on their old boys day, on TV!
“I still get goose bumps thinking about it!”
From his days as a lock at high school, Buthelezi progressed to the loose trio. He is currently on the side of the scrum for the Cell C Sharks but hopes that he will make a professional career out of playing at the back of the scrum.
“Number Eight is a position that I would like to play regularly. I don’t mind playing other positions and I will play where I am needed but number eight is my preferred position.
” Buthelezi is involved in the SA Under 20 set-up again this year and will be hoping to gain selection to his second World Cup, to be held in Argentina in June.
Learning from the likes of Damian Willemse, who had Vodacom Super Rugby experience during the 2018 World Cup, was important. This year Buthelezi will be one of the players imparting his knowledge on others.
“Being selected last year for the SA Under 20 side helped me grow as a player,” He explained. “Playing against quality players and getting that exposure at such a high level was a great experience.
“I think having played Vodacom Super Rugby is a massive advantage going into the World Cup. I want to use this experience to become a better player and to help other guys in the squad.”
There are moments that are a cut above for players and there are instances that might go by in a heartbeat. Buthelezi’s Vodacom Super Rugby debut was one of those moments.
“I was in awe from the moment that I was announced in the squad to go to Singapore!
“We have so many great loose forwards at the Cell C Sharks and to get picked ahead of some of those guys was a huge honour for me.
“Being in Singapore for the first time with guys like Beast (Mtawarira) and Coenie (Oosthuizen was surreal and the week went so quickly.
“After the match, receiving my Cell C Sharks cap from Beast was a moment that I will cherish forever.”
Slipping the green and gold jumper over his shoulders is the youngster’s ultimate goal but he has narrowed his objectives down to focus more on the here and now than on the future.
“I just want to learn as much as I can from guys like Dan and Jean-Luc du Preez and Philip van der Walt.
“They have got so much experience and have been exposed to rugby at such a high level that they are
guys that I can learn so much from,” Buthelezi mentioned.
Despite the rapid rise to Super Rugby, Buthelezi understands the importance of a foundation and is currently tackling an academic qualification too.
“I am currently studying part-time through UNISA,” the 20 year-old said. “I am in my second year of a civil engineering degree.”
The year was 2003 and the KZN rugby fraternity was abuzz with news of a rising star. The dashing Head Boy of DHS was a lanky all-rounder, said to be an impressive cricketer and mature beyond his years. Alistair Hargreaves went on to fulfil all that early promise, and then some. A fixture for the Sharks in both the Currie Cup and Vodacom Super Rugby, his four Springbok caps culminated in selection for the World XV and a sojourn to the European Champion Saracens. Its fair to say that he reached the pinnacle of the game.
Fast forward fifteen years and the self-same excitement has filled the Berea. Durban High School once again has a leader amongst men, and the reports seem to suggest a similar upward trajectory to that enjoyed by young Alista
Phendulani Buthelezi is affectionately known as ‘Pepsi’, and after spending a few minutes in his presence, its clearly an apt moniker. His effervescent charm and energy has proven to be one of the key factors in the rugby revival of The Horseflies. The past decade had proven to be a difficult period in their 152-year history. They were no longer producing professional rugby players and arch-rivals Glenwood seemed to have a psychological hold on their crosstown neighbours.
There were no more Anton Breslers, BJ Bothas or Jody Jennekers. Change was needed. The first signal of intent was the appointment of Scott Mathie as Director of Rugby. A passionate past pupil of the school, he also enjoyed an impressive professional playing career, spanning two continents. The former scrumhalf of the Bulls, Sharks, Leeds Carnegie & Sale Sharks was just what the doctor ordered. Ever the man-manager, Mathie proved to be the perfect mentor for a batch of raw and eager young talents. Amongst the Class of 2017 was Buthelezi, a Mtubatuba local who seemed to have that intangible x-factor that all
special talents possess. A member of the KZN Athletics Team in 2013 and 2014, it was at the U16 Grant Khomo Week that the rest of the country sat up and took notice.
Whilst clearly a prominent figure in the revival of DHS rugby, Pepsi is quick to allocate credit to his former coach. “What Mr. Mathie did was allow us to play rugby the DHS way. We don’t always have the size of other schools, so we needed to play a quick, running game with creativity & offloads. In past years we were conservative; now DHS are attacking space, instead of running into people”. Amongst others, he credits Mathie for creating a more professional environment. “There are so many good coaches within the structures now. The conditioning has picked up and it’s a school on the rise”.
But where did it all begin for young Buthelezi, and how exactly did he come to be known as Pepsi? “I moved to an English school in Grade 3 (Hluluwe Primary) and
some of the teachers struggled to pronounce my first name, so my friends came up with the nickname Pepsi and it just stuck”. A native of the North Coast, he was first spotted by DHS coaches whilst attending Zululand U12 Rugby trials in Grade 6. There was no need for a recruitment pitch though, as he had a pre-existing relationship with ‘School’. “My older brother was already at DHS on a rugby scholarship, so it was an easy decision for me. He’s now studying & playing at Varsity College, so I still have that support structure here”.
It soon becomes apparent that we are in the midst of a supremely family-orientated young man. So much so, that it even extends to his choice of tertiary studies. “I would like to study Civil Engineering, because my (late) father used to have a construction company and he really loved it. I spent a lot of time with him on site and I would like to rebuild his company one day”. One of five siblings in a close-knit family, the distance between home and school was initially challenging for the termly boarder. It proved to be a significant factor in his decision to sign with the Sharks. “From a rugby perspective, this is my home union. I know the coaches and they know me. But I also want to stay close to my mom. She’s getting older and I didn’t want her to have to travel to another province to watch my home games”.
Missing important fixtures is never easy for a parent; particularly when your supremely gifted child has represented both SA Schools and SA U18 Sevens. These achievements are now distant memories and a fresh challenge awaits. The current batch of Sharks U19s are said to be one of the most talented groups in recent memory, largely made up of the successful KZN Craven Week team of last year. “There are a few guys from other provinces, like the Western Cape, but we played against them for many years and all know each other. We’ve come together now. We know what we want to do this year, and what we need to produce. We have to keep working hard and stay humble”.
Currently 102kg and 1.88m, an old-fashioned South African mindset may tempt coaches to mould Pepsi into an Openside Flank, in the traditional ‘fetcher’ role. He’s unfazed by the suggestion though, believing that modern loose forwards should be equally adept in all facets of the game. “You need to be able to cover all 3 positions and play every role. A fetcher at the breakdown, ball-carrier and lineout option, if needed”. Physically imposing, technically astute and one of the Sharks’ most lethal weapons in open play, it would be a brave man who would bet against Pepsi Buthelezi becoming a permanent fixture in the Cell C Sharks jersey for years to come.
Barely six months since completing his matric exams, JJ van der Mescht has already established himself as a consistent performer for the Cell C Sharks Under-19 team, as well as earning a senior debut in the SuperSport Challenge. Standing at well over two metres tall and already a member of the Vodacom Super Rugby pre-season squad, this Glenwood Old Boy has greater honours in his sights. We caught up with JJ and gave him a few word association questions to find out what makes him tick!
1. Food – Braaivleis
2. Movie – Draft day
3. TV Show – S.W.A.T
4. Music – All types of music
5. Pet Hate – Nothing Much!
6. Durban – Great Weather, awesome vibe and really cool people
7. Work – Practice time as a Rugby player
8. Superstitions – Don’t have any
9. Social Media – Facebook, Instagram
10. Studying – Sports Management
11. Free Time – Going to the beach and being around my friends
12. Fear – Losing my Mom
13. Goals – Becoming the best player and person I can possibly be
14. Success – Playing in the Grant Khomo Week twice, Craven Week and SA schools twice each. Playing KZN Sevens and playing for the Cell C Sharks XV team
15. Influences – My father and mother and my family and the love of the game of rugby
16. The Sharks – It’s a great union that looks after its players and gives young players great opportunities
17. Springboks – Something I would love to achieve, I would love to play for the Springboks one day !
18. 5 Years Time – To play Super Rugby for the Cell C Sharks and play for the Springboks.
When Howard Schnellenberger took over as head coach of the University of Miami Hurricanes in 1979, he had two goals in mind. To bring the masses back to the Miami Gardens arena, and to embark on an aggressive recruitment campaign, targeting the best local schoolboy talent in the city. He believed the two went hand in hand, allowing Miamians to watch a team that truly represented the region, and encouraging players to stay as close to their families as possible. This simple strategy worked a charm, culminating in the squad winning the national title within five years of being the laughing stock of college football. A similar approach was undertaken by the Cell C Sharks
in 2017, when they successfully contracted some of the brightest starts of their superbly talented impressive KZN Craven Week team. The fruits were clear for all to see.; an unprecedented clean sweep of the U19 Currie Cup last year, with a handful of rough diamonds emerging as members of the Vodacom Super Rugby training squad. One such athlete was Fezokhule ‘Fez’ Mbatha.
Hailing from Empangeni on the KZN North Coast,
Mbatha shone at a 2011 KZNRU Talent Identification Tournament, a festival of rugby in partnership with the Department of Sport and Recreation. Mbatha was promptly offered a scholarship to one of the province’s leading traditional rugby schools, Maritzburg College. “The Maritzburg College family has done so much for me”, Mbatha explains with an air of reminiscence. “From the moment you arrive, it gives you the best platform to excel. They gave me an opportunity to do that with my rugby career and they’ll always have a special place in my heart”. He goes on to wax lyrical about the values required of every College boy: Honesty, integrity, commitment and respect.
Not surprisingly, it’s the same set of values that he attributes to the awe-inspiring success of the U19 group last year. “It gives me Goosebumps speaking about that U19 squad. From the day we arrived at JONSSON KINGS PARK, everybody wanted to work hard for each other. Once we had that, the performances on the field just came naturally. We enjoyed each other’s company and that was authentic. It wasn’t just talking about a family environment, it was genuine. Even now, we’re still living together like brothers, so you really cherish these relationships.”
Having represented SA Schools in 2017, Fez would have undoubtedly fielded offers from several professional unions, but for the proudly KZN product, here was only
ever going to be one destination. “One of the reasons that made me decide to join the Cell C Sharks was the fact that I grew up in Richards Bay. I wanted to stay in Durban and be as close to family as possible. I’ve always supported the team and looked up to the likes of Beast & Bismarck. They were my idols and I’ve wanted to be like them since I was young. There’s also such a welcoming, homely vibe at the stadium. I’m a big believer that when your heart is happy, that transfers into better performances on the field.”
Given his striking displays over the past twelve months, it came as no surprise that Mbatha was mentioned as one of forty-five players selected to join the SA Rugby Academy. Launched in 2015, the programme features the best under 19 and under 20 players in the country; aiming to balance formal education, high performance training and player welfare. In a nutshell, converting talented teens into consistent, mentally tough professionals.
And whilst most of these players look to Vodacom Super Rugby as the culmination of a four-year plan, Fezokhule was forced to make the shift in record time. His debut in the southern hemisphere’s showpiece regional event may have been brief, but it is a worthy achievement for
not only the man himself, but indeed the personification of the Cell C Sharks’ commitment to nurturing homegrown talent.
A schoolboy just fifteen months ago, one would think that the reality of standing toe to toe with legends of the game may prove to be daunting for the aggressive young hooker. Fortunately, the spirit and cohesion that he enjoyed with the under 19’s seems to permeate throughout the union, making such an incredible leap all the easier to comprehend. “In any environment when you’re new and surrounded by legends, you feel a bit like a grade eight on your first day of school. It was quite intimidating at first, but the senior guys made it so easy for us. A few of the under 19’s joined the senior squad for pre-season, and they were so welcoming. I felt at home immediately.”
With the World Rugby U20 Championship and Currie Cup set to follow this season, Mbatha would be forgiven for getting ahead of himself. After all, he did
square up against the legendary Schalk Brits at Loftus and held his own. “This year is about learning, for me”, he says with a reassuring temperance. “To be around the likes of Akker van der Merwe, Craig Burden, Chiliboy and Kerron van Vuuren, I’m just trying to take in as much information as I can, to become a better rugby player.”
It is at this point that it becomes abundantly clear to the Cell C Sharks faithful; not only is the playing talent there, but a sustainably humble mindset persists as well. In a World Cup year, senior players may retire or possibly move on overseas. This is simply a reality of professional sport. But there is a warm comfort that comes with the progress of these young men with black & white coursing through their veins. The future is indeed exceedingly bright.
The supposed indifference of the Cell C Sharks to junior recruitment has been a sore point for some time. Upon his appointment as CEO, Gary Teichmann spoke of a renewed commitment to not only employee the best and brightest talents in the country, but also to ensure that top KwaZulu-Natal schoolboys remain in the province. Aided by Eduard Coetzee and Playing Affairs Manager Michael Horak, the union has stuck to their word by signing a slew of teenagers who will soon become household names. Strong KZN Craven Week showings in 2017 and 2018 have been supplemented by an Under-19 Currie Cup team that has slayed all comers this season. Of course, there is still a need to scour the length and breadth of the country for outstanding out-of-province superstars, and this has been masterfully achieved through the
acquisition of Western Province quartet; Hanru Jacobs, Emile van Heerden, Evan Roos and Darren Hendricks.
What sets the Cell C Sharks apart from its contemporaries is an undeniable commitment to scout quality over quantity, meaning that there are more than enough places in junior Currie Cup squads for Sharks Academy standouts, who are often late starters or did not receive significant first XV exposure during their time at school. Players such as Franco Marais come to mind, who himself arrived in Durban as a paying Academy student, looking for chance to prove his mettle.
Change is afoot in Durban and as FC Barcelona have shown, there is no better way to establish a sporting dynasty than to invest in the youth who hold the badge close to their hearts. This new generation will become a factory of rugby excellence, ensuring a steady stream of well-rounded match winners and consummate professionals. They will soon learn what it means to be a Sharks and how they’re expected to conduct themselves, both on and off the pitch. These are indeed exciting times for the Cell C Sharks faithful, as the promise of silverware goes from prospect to expectation. Let the good times roll!
KZN BORN AND BRED
Celimpilo Gumede (Durban High School)
The strong and skilful loose forward has taken over the reins of DHS’s leadership from current Cell C Sharks Under-19 captain, Phepsi Buthelezi. The rise of the Mubatuba local is a success story of the KZNRU Talent Identification program, where his form in 2012
saw the Horseflies offer Gumede a bursary, which he accepted with alacrity. As Head Boy of such a respected school, Celimpilo’s maturity and calm demeanour will be an asset at JONSSON KINGS PARK.
Rynhardt Jonker (Glenwood High School)
When your father is one of the world’s best referees in recent memory, you’d be expected to have a phenomenal knowledge of the game. And while Jonker was a raw talent in Grade 11, his 2018 performances have shown that he is more than capable of turning educated theory into jaw-dropping practice. A playmaker and brave general, his ability to draw the attention of defenders creates an abundance of space for his outside backs.
Lwandile Menze (Durban High School)
Whilst not the tallest of players, Menze brings an
The Pocket Rocket was the name and speed was definitely the game.
Brent Russell was a player that lit up South African rugby when the smaller guys might not have been given as much thought.
He paved the way for players like Cheslin Kolbe, Gio Aplon and more recently Roscko Speckman to make a name for themselves in South Africa.
Russell debuted for the Cell C Sharks back in 2003 and won 67 caps for the side across both Vodacom Super
Rugby and Currie Cup.
He represented South Africa on 23 occasions and scored a number of memorable tries for the Springboks and for the Cell C Sharls .
Many can forget how he burst onto the scene for the Pumas and dazzled during Rudolf Straeuli’s 2002 national trial match at Loftus.
The 39 year-old packed the boots away in 2013 when he finished his playing career in France and made the move back to South Africa to take up a position in the financial sector.
“I had a good opportunity to get involved in the financial services industry when I finished up in France,” Russell said. “
“For the last six years with my studies and everything I am getting more credited in the financial services industry and am working for a company called Anchor Capital where I fall into the private wealth division.
“We are focused on investments and private wealth.”
The financial sector always had a pull for Russell whose father was involved in money management.
“It was something that I sort of grew up with really. I always said that I would never do what my dad does!”
he said with a laugh.
“But I got a very good proposal when I was still playing so it gave me a great foot into the sector and I am loving it.
“I enjoy the interactions with clients and I love helping find solutions and ways to help out clients benefit.”
The life of a professional rugby player is choker-block and Russell believes that it is tough for players to find something that they might want to pursue after their playing days because it is difficult to commit to anything outside of the game.
“It’s really hard to put in that time and effort to try and find something that you want to do after playing,” he commented.
It was a topsy-turvy Vodacom Super Rugby season for the Cell C Sharks and it ended at the quarter-final stage with a loss to the Brumbies in Canberra.
Watching a side play so well one week and then battle the next was incredibly frustrating but you knew that the team and staff were feeling exactly the same way.
It was a different season in that there wasn’t an international break and that was an important factor. Here are five things that we learnt from the 2019 Vodacom Super Rugby season.
1. IT IS A LONG COMPETITION
To be playing in a competition that involves as much travel as Vodacom Super Rugby does with no mid
season break just highlights how important squad depth and conditioning are.
With the opening match of the competition on 16 February, to finishing on 22 June it’s taxing and it showed.
You need to have a huge squad of players to choose from and for the Cell C Sharks it was telling when they dipped into the hooker well and Cullen Collopy became the fourth hooker that the Cell C Sharks used in the season!
2. APHELELE FASSI IS THE FUTURE
We knew he had the talent when he made his Cell C
Some have it, some don’t. Everyone has talent in some way, shape or form but some might take a lifetime to find out what they are good at.
Luckily for the Cell C Cell C Sharks and South African rugby we know what Aphelele Fassi is exceptional at!
The first thing that comes to mind when thinking about the youngster is unassuming. He’s there to express himself, but in his own way. Not to flash it around for the world to see, but to live up to the expectations that he has set.
Two years out of school, a Currie Cup title to his name and a Vodacom Super Rugby play-off under his belt, the former Dalian has the rugby world at his feet but he’s in no rush.
“I just want to take it game by game,” the 21 year-old star said. “For me it is just focusing on the present and anything that happens later depends on how well I do now.
“We have a Currie Cup now and I want to play Vodacom Super Rugby again next season and learn from the other guys and take on what I have experienced.
“Obviously as a South African rugby player I want to play for the Springboks but I have to put in the hard work first and hopefully I will get there.”
I think it’s difficult to forget when Fassi chased down Springbok speedster Aphiwe Dyanti during last year’s Currie Cup and from there people took notice of the wiry fullback.
The spotlight fell on him when he made his Vodacom Super Rugby debut for the Cell C Cell C Sharks. After he came through that like a seasoned campaigner it was easy to see that he belonged at that level and will grow into a vital cog in the Cell C Cell C Sharks set-up.
"I remember my debut in Singapore when I broke the line, passed to Cameron (Wright) and he passed to Jeremy (Ward) to score.
"The pace in Vodacom Super Rugby is high and the quality is better but the biggest difference is the technicality of the game,” he explained.
“As a fullback knowing where you need to be and knowing what you need to do is a big difference.”
Fassi was one of the recipients of the Cell C Cell C Sharks Academy scholarships from the 2017 Standard Bank Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival and it was clear there that he was destined for the big time.
Moving through the ranks so quickly meant that there were a number of players that Fassi would have watched on television when he was at school standing next to him in the change room during his first year and a half with the Cell C Cell C Sharks.
“It was incredible sharing a change room with guys that I have looked up to for so long but also playing against guys that I have watched on TV.
"At times I couldn’t believe that I have got this far!
“Reality also then kicked in and I realised that I have to conduct myself in a certain way and have to perform.”
The Cell C Cell C Sharks didn’t have the best season in Vodacom Super Rugby but there were a number of shining lights and Fassi came through that campaign as one of those beacons especially against the New Zealand sides.
New Zealand opposition is often seen as the benchmark of Vodacom Super Rugby and Fassi believes he showed his colours against the Kiwi teams.
“I would say that our game against the Blues really stands out for me, as well as our game at home against the Hurricanes.
“Even though we lost that one I think that that was one of my best performances.”
A young man with a lot of rugby ahead of him, Fassi has taken it all in his lengthy stride this season and learnt lessons along the way. He’s always willing to learn and take in knowledge from senior players and management.
“I learnt that you don’t have to put yourself under pressure,” he said philosophically.
“Do what you are capable of and be yourself, but always continue growing.
“Those were the two things that as a player and as a fullback I really need to work on.”
Taking in knowledge from all angles made the step up an easier one for the youngster and having players and coaches that trust in him and encourage him helped in bringing the best out of the level-headed star.
“Having such strong characters and people around me helped. Especially coach Braam (Van Straaten).
“After every session he would come to me a tell me things that I need to focus on in order to improve; so I give total credit to him for helping me improve my defence and my ability under the high ball,” he said appreciatively.
Fassi came out of the 2018 Currie Cup as one of the players to watch and he was more flattered than intimidated by that tag.
“I took the words as more of a compliment than pressure going into this season.
“It gave me a lot of confidence going into Vodacom Super Rugby but the other players in the squad helped me hugely throughout the competition.
“The hard work that I put in came through and I am looking forward to next year’s Vodacom Super Rugby season so we can improve,” he added expectantly.
It takes a special sort of talent to make the jump from schoolboy rugby to the senior professional ranks in less than a year. You can probably count the successes on one hand - the likes of Francois Steyn and Thomas du Toit performed the same feat, but such an achievement is so rare that the majority of the world’s best players have come nowhere close to ticking that proverbial box.
The abovementioned duo was also blessed with the bodily frames of men many years their senior, which goes a long way to explaining their rapid progression. But then what’s the story with this young Fassi kid?
Growing up in King Williams Town and attending Dale College, one would expect him to be blessed with an insatiable thirst for running rugby, but this has hardly translated to selection at the highest level for even the most skilful of entertainers. Two men foresaw such a possibility though, and thankfully for the JONSSON KINGS PARK faithful, they were wearing black and white.
“It was at the Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival that I first thought I could make a go of rugby,” Fassi explains with an air of distant reminiscence. “I had played quite well for Dale and I was approached by Jacques Botes and Etienne Fynn from the Sharks Academy. They told me that they believed I had the talent to go far and that they’d love to work with me. That was only the half of it though”.
What sealed the deal for Fassi was their insistence that players pursue a tertiary education, in conjunction with pursuing a rugby career. It’s something that ensured his family’s seal of approval and despite the unexpected rigours of playing in the Currie Cup, Fassi has committed to studying marketing in 2019.
With such a level head on his young shoulders, it should come as no surprise that a coaching staff with the likes of Dick Muir has backed Aphelele. After all, it was Muir who ten years ago set many players on the path to international stardom. Beast Mtawarira, Keegan Daniel, Ryan Kankowski, Brad Barritt and Waylon Murray all flourished in Vodacom Super Rugby; when they should technically have been battling for the Under-21 Currie Cup, and rapidly moved on to higher honours.
Leading coach AB Zondagh is another taskmaster who Fassi leans on, and their approach to the game is music to his ears. “What I’ve learnt from these two coaches is that, as a youngster, I shouldn’t be afraid to go out there and express myself. They insist that players put in extra effort on the skills required for their position, but what they really want is to work with players who are able to continuously learn. I think that’s how you push yourself to always become a better player.”
Such an enlightened view of the game is, dare we say it, almost New Zealander in its approach. And one can understand why Aphelele embraces the “Land of the Long White Cloud”. As a teen, he marvelled at the wizardry of Israel Dagg and other finishers of that stature. By ‘stature’, we speak not only of their jaw-dropping skillset, but also the fact that Antipodean outside backs are hardly in danger of breaking the scales. Granted, the likes of Julian Savea are hardly lightweights, but we speak of Ben Smith, Cory Jane, Damien McKenzie and the Beauden Barrett. In such esteemed company, the 1.89m, 89kg Fassi has himself proven worthy of the big time.
Perhaps this has been a long time coming; South African rugby supporters have spent the better part of a decade scratching their heads as to what makes the ABs tick, while simultaneously underappreciating local athletes who could fit seamlessly in the squads of the Chiefs or the Hurricanes in franchise rugby.
Could it be that we are starting to realise that true game breakers do not necessarily have to bench press 200kg or run over their opponents? Are we recognizing that the pace of the modern game requires endurance athletes, rather than bodybuilders? For Fassi, it’s a matter of embracing a balanced approach. A size to strength ratio that pragmatically calls for a player who can take on all challengers, but beat them in a foot race too.
“I guess the difference between age-group rugby and the senior Currie Cup is the speed of the game and the physicality. I am going to look to become stronger, but my focus is primarily on improving my core skills like comfortably fielding high balls and being able to play both fullback and wing equally well. I also need to put in the hours to work on my kicking game, particularly if I want to kick on at the highest level”.
With that said, Fassi is comfortable enough to tell you that fullback is his preferred position and after viewing his performance against the Pumas in the no15 jersey, it’s easy to see why. Within the opening few minutes of the encounter, he was ghosting past would-be defenders and showing genuine game-breaking ability, something that often proves to be the point of difference in closely contested Vodacom Super Rugby fixtures.
With that said, Fassi’s first taste of the Currie Cup came as a replacement winger, scoring what some may deem to be opportunistic tries. This may be the view of the more cynical among us, but as any great coach will tell you, the true class of an outstanding winger does not only lie in an eye for the gap and an awe-inspiring turn of speed. Rather, it’s his ability to read the game to such an extent that he finds himself in the right place at the right time.
With a beaming smile as wide at the neighbouring Moses Mabhida Stadium arch, his infectious love of the game has certainly not been tainted by any suggestion of complacency or a feeling of “I’ve made it”. His Eastern Cape brethren have certainly seen to that.
“I try to learn from as many senior players as possible, but the words of Tera Mtembu and Lwazi Mvovo have stuck with me. They remind me to keep my feet on the ground and to focus on the goal at hand. They also lead by example when they tell you to keep your work rate up. They really put in the hard yards”.
If he continues to follow such sage advice, there’s little doubt that he will feature prominently in Super Rugby’s 2019 edition, but what does the rest of this year hold for Aphelele Onke Okuhle Fassi? “My goal for the remainder of 2018 is to be dependable and maintain consistency”.
We could hardly have expected the reserved Border native to wax lyrical about his longing to lift the Currie Cup, but if his current contributions are anything to go by, it would be well within the ambit of possibility that Aphelele plays a starring role in the final on the 27th of October.
Some have it, some don’t. Everyone has talent in some way, shape or form but some might take a lifetime to find out what they are good at.
Luckily for the Cell C Cell C Sharks and South African rugby we know what Aphelele Fassi is exceptional at!
The first thing that comes to mind when thinking about the youngster is unassuming. He’s there to express himself, but in his own way. Not to flash it around for the world to see, but to live up to the expectations that he has set.
Two years out of school, a Currie Cup title to his name and a Vodacom Super Rugby play-off under his belt, the former Dalian has the rugby world at his feet but he’s in no rush.
“I just want to take it game by game,” the 21 year-old star said. “For me it is just focusing on the present and anything that happens later depends on how well I do now.
“We have a Currie Cup now and I want to play Vodacom Super Rugby again next season and learn from the other guys and take on what I have experienced.
“Obviously as a South African rugby player I want to play for the Springboks but I have to put in the hard
work first and hopefully I will get there.”
I think it’s difficult to forget when Fassi chased down Springbok speedster Aphiwe Dyanti during last year’s Currie Cup and from there people took notice of the wiry fullback.
The spotlight fell on him when he made his Vodacom Super Rugby debut for the Cell C Cell C Sharks. After he came through that like a seasoned campaigner it was easy to see that he belonged at that level and will grow into a vital cog in the Cell C Cell C Sharks set-up.
“I remember my debut in Singapore when I broke the line, passed to Cameron (Wright) and he passed to Jeremy (Ward) to score.
“The pace in Vodacom Super Rugby is high and the quality is better but the biggest difference is the technicality of the game,” he explained.
“As a fullback knowing where you need to be and knowing what you need to do is a big difference.”
Fassi was one of the recipients of the Cell C Cell C Sharks Academy scholarships from the 2017 Standard Bank Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival and it was clear there that he was destined for the big time.
Moving through the ranks so quickly meant that there were a number of players that Fassi would have watched on television when he was at school standing next to him in the change room during his first year and a half with the Cell C Cell C Sharks.
“It was incredible sharing a change room with guys that I have looked up to for so long but also playing against guys that I have watched on TV.
“At times I couldn’t believe that I have got this far!
“Reality also then kicked in and I realised that I have to conduct myself in a certain way and have to perform.”
The Cell C Cell C Sharks didn’t have the best season in Vodacom Super Rugby but there were a number of shining lights and Fassi came through that campaign as one of those beacons especially against the New Zealand sides.
New Zealand opposition is often seen as the
benchmark of Vodacom Super Rugby and Fassi believes he showed his colours against the Kiwi teams.
“I would say that our game against the Blues really stands out for me, as well as our game at home against the Hurricanes.
“Even though we lost that one I think that that was one of my best performances.”
A young man with a lot of rugby ahead of him, Fassi has taken it all in his lengthy stride this season and learnt lessons along the way. He’s always willing to learn and take in knowledge from senior players and management.
“I learnt that you don’t have to put yourself under pressure,” he said philosophically.
“Do what you are capable of and be yourself, but always continue growing.
“Those were the two things that as a player and as a fullback I really need to work on.”
Taking in knowledge from all angles made the step up an easier one for the youngster and having players and coaches that trust in him and encourage him helped in bringing the best out of the level-headed star.
“Having such strong characters and people around me helped. Especially coach Braam (Van Straaten).
“After every session he would come to me a tell me things that I need to focus on in order to improve; so I give total credit to him for helping me improve my defence and my ability under the high ball,” he said appreciatively.
Fassi came out of the 2018 Currie Cup as one of the players to watch and he was more flattered than intimidated by that tag.
“I took the words as more of a compliment than pressure going into this season.
“It gave me a lot of confidence going into Vodacom Super Rugby but the other players in the squad helped me hugely throughout the competition.
“The hard work that I put in came through and I am looking forward to next year’s Vodacom Super Rugby season so we can improve,” he added expectantly.
It takes a special sort of talent to make the jump from schoolboy rugby to the senior professional ranks in less than a year. You can probably count the successes on one hand – the likes of Francois Steyn and Thomas du Toit performed the same feat, but such an achievement is so rare that the majority of the world’s best players have come nowhere close to ticking that proverbial box. The abovementioned duo was also blessed with the bodily frames of men many years their senior, which goes a long way to explaining their rapid progression. But then what’s the story with this young Fassi kid?
Growing up in King Williams Town and attending Dale College, one would expect him to be blessed with an insatiable thirst for running rugby, but this has hardly translated to selection at the highest level for even the most skilful of entertainers. Two men foresaw such a possibility though, and thankfully for the JONSSON KINGS PARK faithful, they were wearing black and white. “It was at the Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival that I first thought I could make a go of rugby,” Fassi explains with an air of distant reminiscence. “I had played quite well for Dale and I was approached by Jacques Botes and Etienne Fynn from the Sharks Academy. They told me that they believed I had the talent to go far and that they’d love to work with me. That was only the half of it though”.
What sealed the deal for Fassi was their insistence that
players pursue a tertiary education, in conjunction with pursuing a rugby career. It’s something that ensured his family’s seal of approval and despite the unexpected rigours of playing in the Currie Cup, Fassi has committed to studying marketing in 2019. With such a level head on his young shoulders, it should come as no surprise that a coaching staff with the likes of Dick Muir has backed Aphelele. After all, it was Muir who ten years ago set many players on the path to international stardom. Beast Mtawarira, Keegan Daniel, Ryan Kankowski, Brad Barritt and Waylon Murray all flourished in Vodacom Super Rugby; when they should technically have been battling for the Under-21 Currie Cup, and rapidly moved on to higher honours.
Leading coach AB Zondagh is another taskmaster who Fassi leans on, and their approach to the game is music to his ears. “What I’ve learnt from these two coaches is that, as a youngster, I shouldn’t be afraid to go out there and express myself. They insist that players put in extra effort on the skills required for their position, but what they really want is to work with players who are able to continuously learn. I think that’s how you push yourself to always become a better player.”
Such an enlightened view of the game is, dare we say it, almost New Zealander in its approach. And one can
understand why Aphelele embraces the “Land of the Long White Cloud”. As a teen, he marvelled at the wizardry of Israel Dagg and other finishers of that stature. By ‘stature’, we speak not only of their jaw-dropping skillset, but also the fact that Antipodean outside backs are hardly in danger of breaking the scales. Granted, the likes of Julian Savea are hardly lightweights, but we speak of Ben Smith, Cory Jane, Damien McKenzie and the Beauden Barrett. In such esteemed company, the 1.89m, 89kg Fassi has himself proven worthy of the big time.
Perhaps this has been a long time coming; South African rugby supporters have spent the better part of a decade scratching their heads as to what makes the ABs tick, while simultaneously underappreciating local athletes who could fit seamlessly in the squads of the Chiefs or the Hurricanes in franchise rugby. Could it be that we are starting to realise that true game breakers do not necessarily have to bench press 200kg or run over their opponents? Are we recognizing that the pace of the modern game requires endurance athletes, rather than bodybuilders? For Fassi, it’s a matter of embracing a
balanced approach. A size to strength ratio that pragmatically calls for a player who can take on all challengers, but beat them in a foot race too.
“I guess the difference between age-group rugby and the senior Currie Cup is the speed of the game and the physicality. I am going to look to become stronger, but my focus is primarily on improving my core skills like comfortably fielding high balls and being able to play both fullback and wing equally well. I also need to put in the hours to work on my kicking game, particularly if I want to kick on at the highest level”.
With that said, Fassi is comfortable enough to tell you that fullback is his preferred position and after viewing his performance against the Pumas in the no15 jersey, it’s easy to see why. Within the opening few minutes of the encounter, he was ghosting past would-be defenders and showing genuine game-breaking ability, something that often proves to be the point of difference in closely
Defending champions is always a tough tag to carry but the Cell C Cell C Sharks wouldn’t have it any other way.
Following an exceptional final win in Cape Town last year against the undefeated Western Province, it showed the strength of character of a squad that will start their defence of the trophy against Griquas.
This season the Cell C Cell C Sharks will be coached by the experienced Sean Everitt who comes back into the mix after coaching the Cell C Cell C Sharks Under 19 side to an unbeaten season in 2018.
He was last involved with the Cell C Cell C Sharks in 2017 where he was the backline coach that helped the Cell C Cell C Sharks to nine wins in their 15 matches.
Current Cell C Cell C Sharks assistants David Williams and Nick Easter will fill those roles under Everitt for the Currie Cup.
Remarkably for the competition no side has won back-to-back titles since the Cheetahs won in 2005, shared it with the Bulls in 2006, and then won in 2007, so if the Cell C Cell C Sharks can back up their 2018 performance they’ll be the first team to retain the title in 12 years.
The past ten years of the competition has seen the Cell C Cell C Sharks and Western Province win the coveted
trophy three times each, the Golden Lions twice and the Cheetahs once.
The competition is short and sharp and leaves very little room for mistake, something that Cell C Cell C Sharks centre Jeremy Ward understands.
“We would be lying if we said that we weren’t disappointed by our Vodacom Super Rugby campaign but the Currie Cup gives us a chance to bounce back quickly from that,” Ward said firstly.
“The Griquas are our first game and they have just come off a successful SuperSport Rugby Challenge campaign where they won it.
“Every single team is going to be hugely competitive and you only get one shot at each of them so that makes it even more challenging.
“It’s going to be vital that we start well and then hopefully we can build some momentum from there as the competition goes on,” he continued.
There will be the inevitable loss of Springbok players
for the Currie Cup and sometimes they return at the back end for the play-offs. Despite the inevitable, Ward knows that the Cell C Cell C Sharks will have a strong squad for the competition.
“We will have a good bunch of guys that played in the final of the Currie Cup last year back in the squad so we will want to draw on that experience.
“It’s worrying for us senior players seeing the talent that is coming through with so many guys coming back from the Junior World Championships!” he laughed.
“The Junior Boks played really well and in particular the Cell C Cell C Sharks boys so we have a great next generation coming through already.
“I think Phepsi (Buthelezi) led that side with such ease and I know that if the guys do get a shot during the Currie Cup they will only strengthen the side,” Ward commented.
The Currie Cup is the oldest rugby competition in the world and holds huge significance amongst rugby fans in the country.
1892 was the first recorded playing of the Currie Cup and Natal, as they were known then, played in their first final in 1956 in Durban at Kingsmead Cricket Stadium
against Northern Traansvaal (now the Blue Bulls), and lost that 9-8.
They had to wait until 1990 until they won their first title. An unexpected 18-12 win over Northern Transvaal at Loftus Versveld.
The ‘Banana Boys’ were the rank underdogs having lost 28-6 to Northern Transvaal during the regular season.
The game was also famous for a ‘nine point try’ where Joel Stransky kicked a penalty from halfway following Tony Watson’s converted try after foul play.
That was the start of the glory years under coach Ian McIntosh and his side went on to win the Currie Cup three more times in the 90’s.
Following that the most successful period for the Cell C Cell C Sharks has been the last eleven years where they have won the title four times.
With so much history attached to it, Ward and all players still think that the competition has a crucial role to play in the South African rugby system.
For a number of years now The Cell C Sharks have had a programme in place to identify, nurture, retain and develop homegrown talent from throughout the province. The #nextgeneration campaign has produced several players who are now part of the broader Cell C Sharks senior squad and the upcoming junior talent have already proved themselves, walking away with the 2018 U19 Currie Cup trophy, led by Empangeni born Phendulani Buthelezi, who is now captaining the Junior Springboks in the 2019 U20 World Cup Championship taking place in June in Argentina.
Other young players including Glenwood’s JJ van Der Mescht and Kerron van Vuuren as well as Pietermaritzburg College’s Fez Mbatha have also featured in this year’s Vodacom Super Rugbycampaign.
Another is Greytown born tighhead prop Khutha Mchunu who has been a part of the squad since 2018, with two school’s claiming him as their own, Greytown High and Glenwood, where he spent his final year of study alongside van der Mescht and van Vuuren.
The 21 year old, who many refer to as the second Beast, hails from the rural farming community of Northern KZN and already has an impressive rugby CV having represented the Cell C Sharks in the U18 Craven Week in 2015, The Cell C Sharks U19s and UKZN in Varsity Shield in 2016 and was part of the Springbok U20 training squad in 2017. In 2018 he formed part of the Cell C Sharks senior squad and made his Vodacom Super Rugbydebut against the Sunwolves this year.
His rugby journey began as a 7 year old in Greytown and it was at Greytown High School where his natural talent and skill really came to the fore, earning him a place in the various school age group provincial sides over the years.
Even though he finished his schooling at Glenwood High in Durban, Khutha has never forgotten his roots in Greytown and the role the local high school played in contributing to his success on the field.
With his debut in the Vodacom Super Rugbycompetition this year, Khutha wanted to visit the school and thank them for their support over the years and give them one of his match jerseys from this year.
Courtesy of SMG Durban, Khutha travelled up to Greytown in the latest BMW 4 series, arriving at the familiar gates of the high school to meet the principal Mr Johan Scholtz and attend an assembly to share some words of motivation with the learners, and also spend time with the school First XV at a training session.
In introducing Khutha to the school, Mr Scholtz not only shared Khutha’s sporting record but his impressive academic records, highlighting how Khutha put as much effort into his school work as he did his rugby.
Khutha, humble as ever, then spoke of the importance of working hard no matter what the circumstances and recounted personal stories on his life growing up with a single mother, which made him stronger and even more determined to succeed, not just in sport, but in all spheres of life.
“Whatever your dream is, believe that it is possible. Know that you have the potential to reach far beyond these walls and be an inspiration to be recognised in the world”, he told the learners.
Inspirational words from a great son of Greytown, and one of the finest examples of the Cell C Cell C Sharks #nextgeneration of emerging talent.
For a number of years now The Cell C Sharks have had a programme in place to identify, nurture, retain and develop homegrown talent from throughout the province. The #nextgeneration campaign has produced several players who are now part of the broader Cell C Sharks senior squad and the upcoming junior talent have already proved themselves, walking away with the 2018 U19 Currie Cup trophy, led by Empangeni born Phendulani Buthelezi, who is now captaining the Junior Springboks in the 2019 U20 World Cup Championship taking place in June in Argentina.
Other young players including Glenwood’s JJ van Der Mescht and Kerron van Vuuren as well as Pietermaritzburg College’s Fez Mbatha have also featured in this year’s Vodacom Super Rugbycampaign.
Another is Greytown born tighhead prop Khutha Mchunu who has been a part of the squad since 2018, with two school’s claiming him as their own, Greytown High and Glenwood, where he spent his final year of study alongside van der Mescht and van Vuuren.
The 21 year old, who many refer to as the second Beast, hails from the rural farming community of Northern KZN and already has an impressive rugby CV
having represented the Cell C Sharks in the U18 Craven Week in 2015, The Cell C Sharks U19s and UKZN in Varsity Shield in 2016 and was part of the Springbok U20 training squad in 2017. In 2018 he formed part of the Cell C Sharks senior squad and made his Vodacom Super Rugbydebut against the Sunwolves this year.
His rugby journey began as a 7 year old in Greytown and it was at Greytown High School where his natural talent and skill really came to the fore, earning him a place in the various school age group provincial sides over the years.
Even though he finished his schooling at Glenwood High in Durban, Khutha has never forgotten his roots in Greytown and the role the local high school played in contributing to his success on the field.
With his debut in the Vodacom Super Rugbycompetition this year, Khutha wanted to visit the school and thank them for their support over the years and give them one of his match jerseys from this year.
Courtesy of SMG Durban, Khutha travelled up to Greytown in the latest BMW 4 series, arriving at the familiar gates of the high school to meet the principal Mr Johan Scholtz and attend an assembly to share some words of motivation with the learners, and also spend time with the school First XV at a training session.
In introducing Khutha to the school, Mr Scholtz not only shared Khutha’s sporting record but his impressive academic records, highlighting how Khutha put as much effort into his school work as he did his rugby.
Khutha, humble as ever, then spoke of the importance of working hard no matter what the circumstances and recounted personal stories on his life growing up with a single mother, which made him stronger and even more determined to succeed, not just in sport, but in all spheres of life.
“Whatever your dream is, believe that it is possible. Know that you have the potential to reach far beyond these walls and be an inspiration to be recognised in the world”, he told the learners.
Inspirational words from a great son of Greytown, and one of the finest examples of the Cell C Cell C Sharks #nextgeneration of emerging talent.
The ladies that make JONSSON KINGS PARK and the Sharks the place and team that they are often go unnoticed in their offices in the heart of the stadium.
To say that the ladies at the heart of the mother ship are not the most passionate Sharks fans on the planet couldn’t be further from the truth and the level three ladies that keep the juggernaut on the right path are vital to every player and member of management.
One of those members, one that has been at the forefront of the Sharks brand for over fourteen years is Novashni Chetty.
Chetty heads up the communications department at the Sharks but has sampled a number of different spheres throughout her decade and a bit of service.
“I started at the Sharks in 2004 as an intern while I was studying,” the ever-cheerful Chetty said.
“I was going to be doing a six month internship, that was extended to ten months and then that grew to a year and then there was an opening for me to make some pocket money in the season ticket renewals department over the December period.
“So I did that for two months and then there was an
opening in stadium management which I took. We hosted big soccer games and concerts back then so I was actively involved there.
“Two years went by in stadium management and then another position in marketing opened up so I was promoted back into marketing.”
Chetty’s role at the Sharks cannot be understated and she is hands on in so many facets of the union, but her experience and her friendly attitude and approach make her the perfect candidate for the role.
Chetty fills a number of roles in her position now but communications is where she is based full time.
“I was initially in the customer relationship management and then I moved into advertising and match day events and now I am the communications manager.
“It’s just been Sharks , Sharks , Sharks for me since I started my journey in January 2008 but I wouldn’t have it any other way!”
Over the years that Chetty has worked at JONSSON KINGS PARK, she has seen the number of ladies involved increase which she has been delighted to see.
“Not only has it been important to have women involved but they are in important positions here at the Sharks .
“I can only speak for us here but the women her play such a vital role in making sure that things are done on order for the players to go out there and perform.
“Well done to the Sharks for giving women the platform to be able to come into a traditionally male dominated environment and get the respect that we need in order to thrive in such an environment,” she added.
Players will often become close with the staff and over the years the ladies at the Sharks have played an important role in the lives of a number of the players.
“I think those relationships come naturally. Over the years the players, and the senior management, respect the roles that the women play in that environment.
“Women come with a different approach and the senior management often say it’s important to have them because they balance things out and see things differently,” Chetty explained.
In Chetty and financial manager Minal Patel, the Sharks have women serving in high places at the union. This is encouraging for Chetty who has seen a significant growth in the number of female staff at the Sharks .
“I do stand to be corrected but I think we have 32 women currently working at the Sharks ,” she commented.
There’s something special about viewing the fulfilment of potential, even for the most neutral of observers. But the truth is that many a school sports aficionado has been waiting many years for Northwood School to take their rightful place as one of the province’s best. Officially founded in 1990 through an amalgamation of Northlands Boys’ and Beachwood, it’s produced some of the leading lights in South African sport. Former Bafana Bafana captain Neil Tovey is an old boy, as is Proteas’ legend Shaun Pollock, but the Kensington Drive institution has humbly made its mark on the rugby fraternity whilst others focused their attention on the likes of Glenwood and Maritzburg College.
What Northwood has given the Cell C Sharks, and indeed the Springboks, are three tough-as-nails competitors. Craig Davidson was a nuggety halfback who wouldn’t think twice about taking on burly tight forwards, Warren Brosnihan would be found at the bottom of any ruck and Hugh Reece-Edwards could well and truly kick the leather off the ball from fullback.
In recent years though, there has been an emphasis on aligning this physical slant with a more skilful, ball-in-hand approach. David Campese’s creative Australian influence was always likely to leave an impression. The former Northwood Director of Coaching was resolute
in his belief that you don’t have to be the biggest player to go far, you just must be the smartest. Today, another former Cell C Sharks assistant coach embraces a similar philosophy.
Having worked with Dick Muir and John Plumtree from 2006, Grant Bashford returned to his alma mata in 2013; an opportunity that allowed him to take on a more comprehensive role in the sport he loves. “My part is primarily coaching the first team, but as the Coaching Director, I also assist the other coaches to implement structures in their teams” he explains. “I had massive input from all our coaching staff this year. Keegan Daniel joined us as an assistant in his first year of coaching and did a magnificent job with the lineouts and other areas of the game as well. Our Head of Conditioning Simon Vickers is an old boy of the school and has grown in leaps & bounds. Richard Tyler is another old boy and Head of Medical who made sure we got on top of any niggling injuries. Torsten Sorensen became the scrum coach and had a massive influence. We also brought in Justin Bodle on the mental side of the game for the past two years, and that did a lot for the culture of Northwood rugby. Our Headmaster is a supportive rugby man and the old boys have been immense as well. Mr Jonny Scruby is the Director of Rugby at Northwood and he deserves massive plaudits too. It couldn’t be more of a team effort”.
This unified front set the tone for an incomparably successful year, and whilst its true to say that the onset of every season is filled with excitement and nervous expectation, it was clear from the opening game that there was something special about the 2019 1st XV group. A visit to Goldstones is a daunting proposition at the best of times, never mind your first hit-out of the campaign. Neither Northlands, Beachwood nor Northwood had previously managed to overturn Maritzburg College on their home turf, but this was but the first boxed ticked in a superbly promising campaign
Embracing a high tempo game plan of placing the ball into space as much as possible, the Knights succeeded in ‘outlasting’ many of their opponents through superior fitness and speed. “Whether its kick space, run space or creating space through our passing, we want to do things at a quicker pace” Bashford enthuses. “We train at a higher intensity than a game itself; so when we play on Saturday, it’s actually a bit easier than we’ve prepared for”.
For all the plaudits received for their attractive panache, it should be remembered that this is hardly a Barbarians’ styled outfit. Defence has been the cornerstone of their victories, scoring an average of 4.5 tries per game but leaking a mere two scores or less.
Google ‘Jarryd Hayne NFL’ and you’re likely to lose a significant part of your day viewing highlights reels on YouTube. The Australian rugby league star made a substantial impact on the NFL when he joined the San Francisco 49ers in 2015, brushing off the creature comforts of his impending NRL legendary status to become a gridiron rookie. Spending only one year in the US, Hayne’s venture was dubbed a failure by sporting critics in both the northern and southern hemispheres, mostly due to his inability to adjust to the idiosyncrasies of the highly technical American code. What became abundantly clear was that as much as rugby aficionados may roll out the dated comparison of our game being ‘just like American football, minus the padding’, the truth of the matter is that they couldn’t be further apart on the spectrum of sporting familiarity.
Such a conclusion should not be viewed as a criticism of our beloved sport or suggest an inferiority complex. For history has shown us that besides some impressive football converts in the USA Sevens team, the alteration is just as difficult for those travelling to our shores. In 2015, former Kansas City Chiefs Running Back Taylor Gentry had a trial spell with the Cell C Sharks, a three-month stint that effectively saw him playing club rugby in the Hollywoodbets Murray Cup. Listed as 111kg, he was shifted between prop and the back row, but ultimately his
superb physical attributes weren’t enough to see him become a JONSSON KINGS PARK regular. Christian Wade has made a move in the opposite direction, foregoing his hero status in the English Premiership for the uncertainty of an NFL trial. Capped only once for England at test level, the Wasps flyer made 165 appearances (with 82 tries) for his club and quite rightly felt that he never quite received the international plaudits that his domestic form screamed out for. Wade packed his bags in October 2018 to pursue his American dream.
In April this year, he was allocated to the Buffalo Bills as a part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program, which aims to provide elite international athletes the opportunity to compete at an NFL level. Wade arrived at camp in Florida in January without a guarantee that he’d be assigned to an NFL team, but with his England rugby prospects proving to be non-existent, he couldn’t resist an opportunity to tick off a bucket list goal.
What is undoubtedly attractive for Wade is that whilst his defensive shortcomings were criticised in rugby union, the NFL affords him the opportunity to
concentrate on what he does best; using a blistering turn of pace to evade opponents. Specialization is exactly what drew Naas Botha to try-out as a place kicker with the Dallas Cowboys in 1983, though the fact that rugby union was still an amateur game might have also had something to do with it. This was ultimately unsuccessful (despite his perfect 21/21 kicking record), but others have had more luck.
For our very own Tristan Blewett, things have seemingly come a whole lot easier. A former Cell C Sharks centre, he recently signed with the NOLA Gold, a New Orleans-based franchise in the newly established American Major League Rugby competition. Blewett thrived in his new surroundings and when the local Louisiana media started to take an interest the new team in town, the Botswana-raised Blewett reaped the benefits.
“Two weeks from the end of the MLR season, I received a call from the New Orleans Saints, saying they wanted me to come for a try-out” recalls Tristan. “That apparently came from them seeing some highlights of me playing in the MLR, and before I knew it, I was in camp”. The biggest hurdle for rugby players to overcome is not the physical attrition of the league (they are well adept as coping at the highest level), but
the highly technical nature of gridiron.
“NFL training is a lot more intense than rugby, in that the drills are shorter and there’s no easing into it. You’re running at 100% from the get-go and often do just a few reps. They don’t see time on your legs as valuable, it’s about the quality. Sometimes it can be a couple of minutes only; if you do a couple of reps perfectly, the coaches are happy, and you move on. I know that it will take me a while to transition; to learn the playbook and specific movements of football. As an athlete, it’s easy to adapt, but the complicated data of the game is a continual work on. What body positions to take, where to keep your hands, reading the opposition plays, it’s a process of a year or two”.
Not only is Tristan pragmatic about the road ahead, he’s also had to grapple with the choice of his best position in his newly adopted venture. “For the week of mini-camp, I was put with the defensive backs and safeties. A safety is very much like a fullback, the last line of defence who scans the backfield and tries to intercept some of the long passes from the opposing quarterback to his wide receivers. I also worked with
We trust that you have enjoyed this issue of Sharks Uncaged. The content is uniquely Sharks Uncaged and we hope that on your journey through the pages you have discovered something new about your favourite rugby team and players. #OurSharks
We love to engage with Cell C Sharks fans from all over the world, so please stay in touch with us. Although we have a dynamic team working tirelessly behind the scenes, we also rely on our fans to assist us as we continue to bring the best Uncaged news.
Engage with us by clicking on one of the buttons below. Share your comments, views and feedback. We’re waiting to hear from you!
The team
at Sharks Uncaged
Sub Editor:
Simon Osler
Creative Directors:
Tamlin Locke (Coffee Creative Studio)
Head of Design:
Tamlin Locke (Coffee Creative Studio)
Head of Development:
Scott Smith (Coffee Creative Studio)
Development:
Isabella D'oliveira (Coffee Creative Studio)
Written Contributors:
Bryce Foss, Nick Tatham, Etienne Fynn, Siya Sithole (Coffee Creative Studio), Uncle Ruck-us, Debra Cleland (Artel Media)
Photos:
Howard Cleland (Artel Media)
Video:
Howard Cleland (Artel Media)
We trust that you have enjoyed this issue of Sharks Uncaged. The content is uniquely Sharks Uncaged and we hope that on your journey through the pages you have discovered something new about your favourite rugby team and players. #OurSharks
We love to engage with Cell C Sharks fans from all over the world, so please stay in touch with us. Although we have a dynamic team working tirelessly behind the scenes, we also rely on our fans to assist us as we continue to bring the best Uncaged news.
Engage with us by clicking on one of the buttons below. Share your comments, views and feedback. We’re waiting to hear from you!
The team at Sharks Uncaged
Sub Editor:
Simon Osler
Creative Directors:
Tamlin Locke (Coffee Creative Studio)
Head of Design:
Tamlin Locke (Coffee Creative Studio)
Head of Development:
Scott Smith (Coffee Creative Studio)
Development:
Isabella D'oliveira (Coffee Creative Studio)
Written Contributors:
Bryce Foss, Nick Tatham, Etienne Fynn, Siya Sithole (Coffee Creative Studio), Uncle Ruck-us, Debra Cleland (Artel Media)
Photos:
Howard Cleland (Artel Media)
Video:
Howard Cleland (Artel Media)
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