2019 Award winners from Kearsney Media release:
Valued at over R100 000 each, recipients of the Sharks Academy bursaries are Glenwood prop Blaine Golden, Selborne College centre Mtungwa Mapantsela and Dr EG Jansen loose forward Juandre Odendaal. The bursary includes a contract with the Academy next year, accommodation and a tuition bursary with one of its education partners.
THE NEW REALITY IN SOUTH AFRICA – ACADEMIES ARE THE WAY TO GO!
The reality is that with the death of the National u19 Championship, the players that do not get into a class Academy system will perhaps never make the step up since full-time university studies are very demanding, as they quite rightfully should be.
It’s widely accepted amongst leading rugby scouts in South Africa that that the Varsity Cup is very well marketed but the quality player out of it only (if he does develop) comes out at between ages 23 and 25. The rugby franchises need their guys ready at age 21 now at most. This is due to the expense of current internationals on their Union books and the ongoing off-shore opportunities that drain the player base once they pick up experience. This is fact! Just a comparison of the quality players who entered that type of system three or four years ago versus those who entered the HP system and its a pretty straight up result.
| # | Year | Player award winner | School | Position | The year after school | Success% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 42 | 2019 | Juandre Odendaal | 1 of 3 EG Jansen | 1 of 7 Flank | – | |
| 41 | 2019 | Blaine Golden | 1 of 9 Glenwood | 1 of 7 Prop | – | |
| 40 | 2019 | Mntungwa Mapantsela | 1 of 5 Selborne | 1 of 5 Centre | – | |
| 39 | 2018 | Christie Grobelaar | 1 of 1 Drostdy | 2 of 5 Centre | Joined the SA Sevens Academy. | 0% |
| 38 | 2018 | Lindokuhle Luthuli | 2 of 9 Glenwood | 2 of 7 Flank | Joined the Sharks Academy. | 100% |
| 37 | 2018 | Jacques Odendaal | 1 of 4 Kearsney | 1 of 4 Flyhalf | Joined Maties. | 0% |
| 36 | 2018 | Sibu Sangweni | 2 of 4 Kearsney | 3 of 7 Flank | Joined the Golden Lions. SA u20 player in 2019. | 0% |
| 35 | 2017 | Aphelele Fassi | 1 of 6 Dale | 2 of 4 Flyhalf | Joined the Sharks Academy. Sharks Super Rugby player. | 100% |
| 34 | 2017 | Siphamandla Matsinya | 2 of 6 Dale | 1 of 6 Wing | Joined the Sharks Academy. | 100% |
| 33 | 2017 | Lindsay Potgieter | 1 of 1 Framesby | 1 of 6 Fullback | Stayed on in PE for personal reasons. | 0% |
| 32 | 2017 | Jason Raubenheimer | 2 of 5 Selborne | 2 of 6 Fullback | Joined Free State/CUT. | 0% |
| 31 | 2016 | Aphelele Fassi | 3 of 6 Dale | 3 of 6 Fullback | Joined the Sharks Academy. Sharks Super Rugby player in 2019. | 100% |
| 30 | 2016 | Sibulele Mbana | 4 of 6 Dale | 3 of 5 Centre | Gave up rugby to work in the construction industry. | 0% |
| 29 | 2016 | Renier van Rooyen | 3 of 9 Glenwood | 2 of 7 Prop | Joined the Sharks Academy. | 100% |
| 28 | 2015 | Nico Peyper | 2 of 3 EG Jansen | 1 of 1 Hooker | Joined the Blue Bulls. | 0% |
| 27 | 2015 | Jaydon Morgan | 4 of 9 Glenwood | 4 of 6 Fullback | Held out for a union contract elsewhere which did not materialise. | 0% |
| 26 | 2015 | Khuthazani Mchunu | 5 of 9 Glenwood | 3 of 7 Prop | Joined the Sharks Academy. Sharks Super Rugby player in 2019. | 100% |
| 25 | 2015 | Jordan Chait | 1 of 1 SACS | 3 of 4 Flyhalf | Joined WPRI. A 2019 Maties Varsity Cup star . | 0% |
| 24 | 2015 | Heinrich Nieuwenhuizen | 3 of 5 Selborne | 4 of 7 Flank | Joined Free State University. | 0% |
| 23 | 2014 | Justerino Davids | 5 of 6 Dale | 5 of 6 Fullback | Joined the Sharks Academy. | 100% |
| 22 | 2014 | Curtis Jonas | 6 of 9 Glenwood | 4 of 4 Flyhalf | Joined the Golden Lions. | 0% |
| 21 | 2014 | Kenny van Niekerk | 7 of 9 Glenwood | 4 of 7 Prop | Joined the Golden Lions. | 0% |
| 20 | 2014 | Barend Smit | 1 of 2 HTS Middelburg | 6 of 6 Fullback | Accepted a Sharks contract but then joined the Golden Lions. | 0% |
| 19 | 2014 | Adrian Heystek | 1 of 2 Westville | 5 of 7 Flank | Joined the Sharks Academy. | 100% |
| 18 | 2013 | SJ Roux | 1 of 1 Boland Landbou | 1 of 2 Lock | Joined the Free State Cheetahs. | 0% |
| 17 | 2013 | Wandi Mazibuko | 8 of 9 Glenwood | 6 of 7 Flank | Joined the Sharks Academy. | 100% |
| 16 | 2013 | Matt Reece-Edwards | 3 of 4 Kearsney | 1 of 1 Scrumhalf | Joined the WPRI but returned & played Sharks u19. | 50% |
| 15 | 2013 | Rikus Bothma | 1 of 2 Paarl Gim | 1 of 3 No.8 | Joined the WPRI. | 0% |
| 14 | 2012 | Siyabonga Tom | 9 of 9 Glenwood | 2 of 6 Wing | Disqualified. In NMMU Varsity Cup squad 2013. | 0% |
| 13 | 2012 | Wion Robertse | 2 of 2 Paarl Gim | 3 of 6 Wing | Joined the Sharks Academy. | 100% |
| 12 | 2012 | Nqoba Mxoli | 2 of 2 Westville | 5 of 7 Prop | Joined the Bulls. | 0% |
| 11 | 2011 | Spho Msutwana | 6 of 6 Dale | 4 of 5 Centre | Sharks Academy for 2012. Joined EP Kings 2013. | 100% |
| 10 | 2011 | Dries Swanepoel | 1 of 2 Grey College | 5 of 5 Centre | Joined the Bulls after school. | 0% |
| 9 | 2011 | Ryan Germishuys | 4 of 5 Selborne | 6 of 7 Prop | Joined the Bulls after school. | 0% |
| 8 | 2010 | Neil Jordaan | 2 of 2 Grey College | 2 of 3 No.8 | Joined the Free State Cheetahs. | 0% |
| 7 | 2010 | Kagiso Segole | 4 of 4 Kearsney | 4 of 6 Wing | Went to study in the Western Cape. | 0% |
| 6 | 2010 | Brendan Olivier | 1 of 1 Nico Malan | 7 of 7 Prop | Joined the EP Kings. | 0% |
| 5 | 2009 | Morne Stassen | 3 of 3 EG Jansen | 2 of 2 Lock | Joined the Bulls. | 0% |
| 4 | 2009 | Leon Makiwane | 1 of 2 Queen’s | 5 of 6 Wing | Left the Sharks Academy to pursue athletics career. | 100% |
| 3 | 2009 | Chris Cloete | 5 of 5 Selborne | 7 of 7 Flank | Sharks junior 2010 – 2012. Cut in 2013. | 100% |
| 2 | 2008 | Hendrik le Grange | 2 of 2 HTS Middelburg | 3 of 3 No.8 | Joined the Golden Lions. | 0% |
| 1 | 2008 | Sbura Sithole | 2 of 2 Queen’s | 6 of 6 Wing | Joined the Sharks Academy. Sharks Super Rugby debut in 2013. | 100% |
| AVERAGE | 37% |
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.