Boland has named it’s Coca-Cola Khaya Majola under-19 Cricket Week team. Missing is the name of Boishaai all-rounder Jean-Luc du Plessis, a fast left arm bowler and top order batsman. Jean-Luc, the talented son of Springbok left wing and former Bok coach Carel du Plessis, has made up his mind to focus on rugby after school. He is now one of the Sharks’ major junior acquisitions for 2013. It therefore goes without saying that he is a darn good rugby player. Although he did not make the initial WP Craven Week squad, he was drafted in during the tournament to cover for the injured Handre Pollard. In the Academy Week prior to Craven Week, young du Plessis had reproduced the outstanding form that had helped his school Paarl Boys High top the national rugby ranking this year. Irrespective of what choice he made, Jean-Luc was always being tipped by those in the know to have a big future as either a rugby player or a cricketer.
Long gone are the days when a player could focus on both sports after school. The likes of Peter Kirsten, Lee Barnard, Gavin Cowley, Daryll Cullinan and Herschelle Gibbs will be remembered for their cricketing exploits but were all once great flyhalves as well. Nowadays it seems like all-round sportsmen are being encouraged to make up their minds and concentrate on either cricket or rugby at a much earlier age than ever before. One wonders if we are heading for a time when it will become impossible for a talented player to take part in both sports at school level. In this professional age, a dual school sportsman like Jean-Luc du Plessis might soon be one of the last of his kind.
Boland team
| Name | School |
| Rantin Fortuin | New Orleans |
| Du Toit Maree | Dirkie Uys |
| Hanno Kotze | Paarl Boys |
| David Stofberg | Paarl Boys |
| Adrian du Toit | Paarl Gim |
| Zeeco Alexander | Paul Roos |
| Oliver Nel | Somerset |
| Jan Frylink | Boland Landbou |
| Reeve Cyster | Bridgehouse |
| Justin Dill | Paul Roos |
| Björn Fortuin | Paarl Boys |
| Eddie Schutte | Paarl Boys |
| Curtley Louw | Paarl Gim |
@BOG: It is stramge Bog. His son must tip the scales at 120kg. Even with the common surname, I would never have suspected they were father and son. However on the otherhand for many years I thought that Derick and Francois Hougaard were brothers. Allan Dell is another case. When I met his old man on the sideline at a u19 game for the first time without knowing the connection, I would have gone thru every just about player guessing who his son was before settling on a prop. The old man is thin and was a quick wing in his day. :smile:
@beet: Palframan was tall and lanky,if I remember correctly. And he has a son who is a TH? Strange indeed.
@beet: Yeah, Richard has a bright future in rugby.His dad is very proud…also interesting as Steve was a hockey player in his schooldays.A pansy as we referred to hockey players at Dale
But Steve is very much still involved at Dale.He has sponsored the rugby side quite extensively in the last couple of years…even the pink jerseys were courtesy of him this year.
@Playa: Palframan’s son Richard played a few games at tighthead for the Sharks u19 this season before jetting off to the UK to take up a junior contract. He was at Rondebosch.
Also a year behind Allan Dell at the Sharks. I wonder if the 2 old man Steve’s ever came up against each other in a Tickbirds / Kudus derby :smile:
@BOG: No he didnt go to Dale. Steve Palframan, Makhaya Ntini and Monde Zondeki are the only Old Dalians to have played cricket for SA post isolation.
@Andre T: Ollie, if I remember correctly, was both Water polo and squash at school provincial level.
@Playa: Hau, you dont know? Im almost sure that he went to Dale
@Andre T: Hahahahahaha!
@Andre T: You’ve actually spelt his name correctly. I’m not sure which school he went to, I’ll have to check and let you know.
@Playa: Jeepers, I must have driven past there soon after I was born in 1952 on our way to East London where I played tennis at Selborne Park in the u/3 world championships.
@Playa: Which school did Mfuneko Ngam go to? (spelling might be totally wrong)
@BoishaaiPa: Geeez!Those who knew him don’t exaggerate when they say he was a freak huh…
Farrer’s Sports still exists.Though, it’s just “Farrer’s” now because they’ve diversified to a million other things now.And I bought my first pair of togs there 20 years after you in 1992.
@Playa: Bought my first pair of togs at Farrers Sports in King in 1972!..Buster also played Tennis, Golf and did Angling for Border!
@Andre T: Hahaha!That may be true, I’ve also heard something similar.
Monde now plays cricket for the Cape Cobras.He played for the Proteas between 2003-2005, but his career has been hampered by injuries.Something that’s been a problem for him since he was a schoolboy.
@Playa: Maybe Bog will know better but I also once heard that Ollie le Roux was a provincial squash or waterpolo player. What has happened to Monde Zondeki?
@Andre T: Buster Farrer (Old Dalian), played Springbok Cricket (Proteas) hockey and squash.
Mark Boucher apparently was a better squash player than a cricketer.
Good luck to the young man…in an era where SA rugby is flooded by talent where the number 10 poisition is concerned.
This topic reminds me of a good friend of mine, Monde Zondeki.A sizzling outside center in his time with pace for days!He could have gone the rugby route had he chosen…good thing though because he would have been fed all sorts of stuff to put on mass and would have lost his lethal weapon of pace.
I guess one can only take on only one proffession at a time.
@Andre T:
Louis Luyt
A few more dual sportsmen:
Tjaart Marais (Western Transvaal flyhalf and PUK 1 hard hitting batsman – only had one eye – also played Western Transvaal junior tennis)
Graeme Bouwer ( Western Transvaal and Bulls flyhalf/ Impalas opening bowler in the Benson&Hedges Nite Series)
Lourens Oberholzer (Transvaal centre also played CW and Nuffield cricket in 1982
@beet: Never heard of Louis Lutz?
Thanks Beet
@BOG: Yes Bog. He started out as the Northern Transvaal bowler and fullback but later moved to Louis Lutz’s Transvaal along with the likes of Uli Schmidt and Rudolph Straueli, who also made starts in N/Tvl.
@beet: Did Gerbrandt Grobler play for Tvl as Well? I know that he played FB for N-Tvl. Dan Van Zyl was another example. It was a challenge for them to ensure that they arrive at the right venue with the right kit.
Another recent Glenwood kid, Sumanth Sunkari, SA Schools cricket and hockey…..please go cricket kid!
@beet: Not forgetting the current one in Tristan Tedder who will probably be forced into a decision very soon.
@Grasshopper: Many many. I tried for just flyhalves/cricketers. Rowan Varner was a DHSOB’s lock and a Natal bowler. Gerbrandt Grobler used to play cricket for N/Tvl then cross the Jukskei to play rugga for Tvl.
@Beet, I know your list is just an example, but Errol Stewart, Jonty Rhodes and Derek La Marque were also great multi/dual sportsman. I would throw in Greg Nicol’s name, he had to choose between cricket and hockey. He probably wrongly chose hockey as there is diddly squat to be made in that sport…
I agree golf is a very difficult game to master that’s why there is a game called rugby as well.
2012 Earnings European Tour:
1st) Rory McIlroy 3 600 000 Euros
150 th) Sam Little 102 000-00 Euros (think that was Matfield’s package at Bulls)
2012 Earnings US PGA Tour
1st) Rory McIlroy $ 8 047 000-00
150th) Brendon Todd $ 474 000-00 (Combined Stormers S15 squad
2012 Sunshine Tour Earnings
1st) Branden Grace R 2 421 000-00
60th) Neil Schietekat R 177 000-00 ( Teacher’s salary)
Remember mostly everyone playing on the tours are sponsored and gets endorsement monies as well. Even guys playing in SA.
Do a few calculations and work out how much 23 year old Mcilroy earned through hours and hours of practise. The harder you practise …..the luckier you get.
2012
Alwys interesting to see the players from the WP CW schools providing all the players for the Boland u/19 cricket team…
@Andre T: Ja, but there are 64 top players on the PGA tour and the same on the European tour that really make money. The Sunshine tour (do they still call it that) .. how much do they make. So, probably 200 golfers in the world that make money. A (Glenwood) mate of mine had 2 kids that were hellovu talented sportsmen and golfers (Grassy would know who they are :-)), playing off scratch and -1, went to a golf clinic. The oke running it asked all the scratch and better golfers to put their hands up. He then told the 100 odd boys that had their hands up that perhaps 1, (maybe 1) would ever make a living from golf. Take 100 “scratch” schoolboy cricketers or rugby players .. more than that would make money I reckon.
@Gungets Tuft: Don’t think a first class SA cricketer gets much more than R 15 000-00 a month ( that’s minimum) but I can tell you one thing, Louis Oosthuizen’s missed putt on the last hole on Sunday cost him $ 400 000 even though he won $600 000 for finishing 2nd. Money wise I still can’t believe that kids still play cricket instead of golf.
I wonder how much cricketers make at provincial level compared to rugby players who are at Currie Cup level. What is the financial risk of missing out at national level and “only” playing at 1st class level.
Then, what is the risk of injury ending a career early in cricket vs rugby?
Finally – what are the international salary paying opportunities in cricket (English cricket, IPL etc) vs rugby (anywhere in UK, France, Japan).
This youngster JLdP is a real talent and I think he made a great decision going to the Sharks. My only concern with youngsters going to Durban is the fact that they do not play in Young Guns Varsity Cup which would have been ideal for this chap.