Everyone gets their chance at the Steval Pumas

Jan 14 • General News • 1605 Views • Comments Off on Everyone gets their chance at the Steval Pumas

The Mpumalanga Rugby Union believes in giving everyone a fair chance to see if they do have what it takes to be a professional rugby player. That’s why nine local amateur players were given the opportunity to train with the Steval Pumas during their annual six week pre-season period at the end of the 2015 season.

Four local club players, Jacques Kotzé(White River Rugby Club), Phule Sibiya (White River Rugby Club), Damien Jansen van Rensburg (Nelspruit Rugby Club), Lloyd Malatji (Nelspruit Rugby Club), four Puma u21 players, Johan Gericke, Dylan du Buisson, Bennie Mashabane and Wian van Schalkwyk as well as Ian Truter (a u19 Puma player) joined their professional heroes in what has been a long six weeks of blood, sweat and tears.

“Everyone thinks it’s easy to do the sport they love on a permanent basis, but during this trial period these players soon realized that it’s hard work to maintain top form throughout the year. It was great to see these players having fun, blending in and working hard for the three possible six month contracts we have available for the first round of the 2016 Currie Cup fixtures,” head coach MJ Mentz commented.

At the end of the year, Leighton van Wyk, a former Blue Bulls u21 player also on trial together with Damien Jansen van Rensburg and Jacques Kotzé were asked to stay on between January and July.

The idea with the short term contracts is to give these players some game time, ” Mentz continued.

SARU has not confirmed final dates for the new season, but it should be available in the next couple of days. The first round of the Currie Cup will start on 9 April until end of July.