ENGELBRECHT AND VAN DYK FOR EP KINGS

Jun 17 • General News • 2824 Views • Comments Off on ENGELBRECHT AND VAN DYK FOR EP KINGS

THE Eastern Province Kings have announced that powerful flank Jacques Engelbrecht will be joining the team for the duration of the Absa Currie Cup campaign in 2015.

The 30-year-old Engelbrecht, who played for the EP Kings from 2011 and represented the Southern Kings in the 2013 Super Rugby season, is on loan from the Blue Bulls for the next four months.

In another development, the Kings confirmed that young tighthead prop Maks van Dyk has been contracted until the end of the 2016 season. Van Dyk played Super Rugby for the Cheetahs in 2015.

EP Rugby chief executive Charl Crous said they were delighted to have concluded Engelbrecht’s loan agreement with the Blue Bulls.

“Jacques was a familiar face in our ranks, both for the EP Kings and the Southern Kings, and we are looking forward to having him back for our Currie Cup campaign,” Crous said. “We believe he will add a great deal to our squad during this important time for rugby in the province.”

Both players will add considerable bulk and experience to the Kings pack, and EP Kings head coach Brent Janse van Rensburg said they were looking forward to working with them during the Currie Cup programme.

“We welcomed Jacques and Maks into the Kings family earlier today (Wednesday) at our player and management workshop,” Van Rensburg said on Wednesday. “We look forward to working with them going forward and getting to know them better.

“Jacques will slot into our medical screening protocol tomorrow and commence his conditioning training immediately thereafter, while Maks has joined us only for medical screening yesterday and to be part of our workshop today to understand and become more part of our culture.

“Maks will now be given some time off as he has endured a rather demanding Super Rugby competition and needs to recover both mentally and physically prior to commencing any training with us.”

Better known as “Vleis”, Engelbrecht developed a reputation as a bullocking ball-carrier for the Kings and was snapped up by the Bulls after the 2013 Super Rugby season. Weighing in at 112kg, he is a powerful presence in defence as well.

Born in Bellville in the Western Cape, Engelbrecht was educated at Monument High in Krugersdorp and made his debut for Western Province in 2007. He joined the SWD Eagles in 2008 before linking up with the Kings for the 2011 season.

Engelbrecht is under contract to the Blue Bulls until 2016, but the Kings have entered a loan agreement with them for the 2015 Currie Cup season.

The 23-year-old Van Dyk, who attended Paarl Boys’ High and was a member of the 2012 Junior Springboks team which won the world title, played Super Rugby for the Free State Cheetahs this year.

Besides the Cheetahs, Van Dyk, who made his first-class appearance for the Sharks XV during the 2012 Vodacom Cup, has also turned out for Griquas and spent two months in 2014 on loan with Irish side Leinster.