Prop Lupumlo Mguca who was one of only eight under-17 players to have represented the SA Schools team in under-18 internationals last year, is jetting off to New Zealand to attend Burnside, a co-ed high school in Christchurch, home to the Crusaders Super Rugby team.
Mguca played his 1st XV rugby at Uitenhage based technical high school Daniel Pienaar in 2014.
The youngster’s opportunity to travel, play rugby and complete part of his matric abroad was made possible through an initiative arranged by the SA Rugby EP Kings Academy with the help of a generous sponsor BLG Logistics and the EP Rugby Union. The 2-year plan includes assisting Mguca to complete the second part of his matric at home in the Eastern Cape in 2016.
Remarkably Daniel Pienaar has a second SA Schools player in the form of talented centre Heino Bezuidenhout, who like Mguca is still under-18 this year and therefore eligible for SA Schools reselection this year.
The opportunity might be great for Lupumlo Mguca but spare a thought for Daniel Pienaar and their 2015 1st XV. Apart from having to lose this quality front-rower to New Zealand, it wasn’t that long ago that promising outside back Manie Libbok left Daniel Pienaar for Outeniqua. Libbok, an SA Schools trialist in 2014, is also still under-18. He came up against his former schoolmates Mguca and Bezuidenhout when SWD met EP in the Craven Week final of 2014, which EP won 25-7.
One theory is that moving the player to NZ is a Kings strategy to keep him away from the other rugby unions and their chequebooks. Also a player who is u19 in matric is a lot less marketable than an u18, so stretching matric over 2 years might also be part of a plan. Who knows. Just a theory.
Daniel Pienaar is celebrating 120 years this year, founders and reunion weekend is 24 to 26 April. DP will be playing Framesby.
A lot of the english boys at Daniel Pienaar start school at Muir as Daniel Pienaar does not have a junior school. But from my Knowledge he has been at DP from st6. In my opinion and don’t take me wrong i am actually glad he will not be playing this year as he has always been a risk for penalties and yellow cards in crucial periods and i said that to him when he was playing under 16. At that stage one of my mates was coaching them.
@rugbyfan: Oh is is? When did he leave Muir?
And this kid started off at Muir College as far as I know.