Former Glenwood High School loose-forward, Shaun Adendorff has deservedly earned himself an IRB Junior Player of the Year Award 2012 nomination along with the classy former Grey College midfielder Jan Serfontein and the Irish flyhalf JJ Hanrahan.
Adendorff gained recognition by putting in huge performances against both Ireland and England during the Baby Boks pool matches. Although just about every single one of his SA under-20 teammates has attended Craven Week in the past, Adendorff, who lost out to Hilton’s Guy Alexander for the no.8 berth in the 2010 KwaZulu-Natal team, now finds himself at the top of the international pile barely two years down the line.
Like Marcell Coetzee, Shaun Adendorff is bound to become a shining example to many talented schoolboys rugby players that have also missed out on Craven Week selection, of what can be achieved through dedication and hard work after school.
The Irish are seasoned pros when it comes to online voting for rugby awards but if you’re willing to take them on you can place your vote for IRB Junior Player of the Year here:
https://www.facebook.com/irbjuniorworldrugby
Others in the SA u20 team to not have played at Craven Week are:
Oliver Kebble: spent his matric year in a UK school
Dillyn Leyds (WP): lost out to flyhalf Gavin Hauptfleisch in 2010
Abrie Griesel (Free State): was only the Grey College 3rd choice scrumhalf in 2010
Maks van Dyk (WP): lost out to tightheads Pieter Stemmet and Tshepo Motali in 2010
Travis Ismaiel (WP): lost out to JP Lewis and others in 2010
Franco Marais (Leopards): like Adendorff, Leyds, van Dyk and Griesel, he attended Academy Week in 2010.
@Grasshopper: The Irish have been good at voting online for their own players for a while now. I think guys like Tommy Bowe and Sean o’Brien have benefitted from having electronically tuned in rugby supporters.:-))
Must say I am surprised that the AB 15 was not nominated. Serfontein is a great player for the future. Adendorff had a great game against the English. Peter Dutoit at 7 or lock is also a great player.
Brilliant, thanks Beet. It seems the Irish have a serious social media campaign running to vote for JJ. It’s going to take a miracle to catch him, unless we all do our best to spread the word. I have emailed Glenwood today to spread the word to Old Boys. I might even try John Allan, Bob Skinstad and Keo.