Sensation, Khanya Ncusane, makes his mark for Western Province in the Under-16 Coca-Cola Grant Khomo Week

Jul 9 • Craven Week, General News, School • 4238 Views • Comments Off on Sensation, Khanya Ncusane, makes his mark for Western Province in the Under-16 Coca-Cola Grant Khomo Week

When Khanya Ncusane runs out as eighthman for the Western Province Under-16 team against the Blue Bulls in the final game of the 2014 Under-16 Coca-Cola Grant Khomo Week he will be one step closer to his dream of playing for the Springboks, one day. The tournament is currently underway at the Tshwane University of Technology in Pretoria.

The 16 year-old from Paarl Boys’ High School knows that he has some way to go before achieving this goal and as a result is concentrating on Thursday’s game.

His next focus will be on his school team’s game against archrivals Paarl Gimnasium in a few weeks’ time.

It’s been a good week for Khanya; he received the Powerade Power Play of the Match award after scoring a hat-trick of tries in his side’s demolition of Border on day one, and his ball carrying, line breaks and work ethic played a big part in Western Province’s 24-11 win over the Golden Lions in their second outing.

Khanya comes from a humble home in Parow. His father works for the municipality and his mother is a teacher. The first sport he played was soccer until his school coach suggested that he gives rugby a try, and he has never looked back. It was while in Parow that he was offered a bursary to Paarl Boys’ High.

“It was difficult at school at first because I could not speak Afrikaans. My previous school was English medium and we speak Xhosa at home. I managed to learn the language quickly and am doing well at school now. I want to study law after school, and I also want to play professional rugby,” he said.

Khanya has played in the Under-13 Coca-Cola Craven Week and is now enjoying his Under-16 Coca-Cola Grant Khomo Week. “This week is a stepping stone to the U18-Coca-Cola Craven Week, the ultimate in schools rugby, and I hope I will be ready for that next year.”

He says it is strange playing in the same team as the Paarl Gim boys “We are brothers at the moment but that will change in a week’s time,” he laughed.