Shakes Soyizwapi called up to Stormers

Feb 17 • General News, Super Rugby • 5888 Views • Comments Off on Shakes Soyizwapi called up to Stormers

Eastern Province Rugby CEO, Charl Crous has confirmed that Siviwe Shakes Soyizwapi has been called up to the Stormers squad.

“Shakes left for Cape Town on Sunday (SUBS: Sun 16 February, 2014) and will be joining the Stormers to provide cover for them at Wing and Fullback,” he said.

Soyizwapi played for the Border Bulldogs at the Under-18 Academy Week in 2010, earning a call-up to the South African Under-18 High Performance team, before joining the Eastern Province Kings Academy.

He played for the EP Kings at Under-21 Currie Cup level in 2012 and 2013, finishing the latter competition as the top try scorer.

He made his first class debut in the 2012 Currie Cup Promotion/Relegation series against the Free State Cheetahs. Three appearances followed in the 2013 Vodacom Cup (scoring one try), as well as five appearances in the 2013 Currie Cup First Division (where he scored three tries) before reverting to the U21 side for the remainder of the season.

Soyizwapi also played for the Southern Kings last year, filling in for the injured Hadleigh Parkes, making his Super Rugby debut in the 28–28 draw against the Brumbies in Canberra.

In October last year, Soyizwapi was called into an S.A. Sevens training squad, prior to the 2013 Dubai Sevens.

Crous said he had received the request to loan Soyizwapi to the Stormers for their Super Rugby season, following the youngster’s sterling performance against the Cape Town based Super Rugby side during their warm up match at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on the 7^th of February.

“We wish Shakes everything of the best and know that he will be a great asset to the Stormers,” he said.

Crous said that Soyizwapi’s call up showed, once again, that the Eastern Province was producing top quality talent and that EP Rugby was committed to their promise of identifying opportunities for their talented players to get Super Rugby experience ahead of the team’s re-inclusion into the competition in 2016.