Sharksworld was fortunate enough to have a chat to Paul Jordaan as he studies for his last few matric exams and trains hard for what should prove to be a very exciting year for the young man.
Paul grew up on a farm near Craddock in the Eastern Cape and went to Primary school in the area before following in his father’s steps by attending Grey College in Bloemfontein.
Paul has the fantastic opportunity of joining the Springbok sevens squad for the first part of 2011 until the time the Currie Cup starts. Paul is a centre who can also play flyhalf and says he will probably be used as a flyhalf for the sevens squad. He feels his strengths include accelerating through gaps (he tells me he did 30M in 3.62 seconds when doing athletics training) as well as stealing the ball in the tackle which would both be useful skills on the sevens circuit. Paul does feel that he needs to work on his fitness and his time with the Springbok squad will no doubt help him a lot with that.
Paul signed for the Sharks academy at the end of 2009 after having received bigger offers from other unions. Paul said that his dad took him to the Sharks Academy and he felt that was the place he wanted to go to. He says he felt the same about his decision to go to Grey College. “I can’t really explain why, but I got a feeling in my heart that this was the place for me”. In the professional era where players are offered big contracts to make their living playing rugby and invariably take the best financial offer, it is refreshing and encouraging to see a young man turning down bigger offers to join a union where he feels he will be happy.
Paul strikes me as being a humble and hard working young man. He says he enjoys hunting and especially bowhunting on the farm but also spends a lot of time training because he enjoys it. With the positive and hard working attitude that Paul will bring to the Sharks next year after benefitting from a good few months with Paul Treu and his sevens squad, one can only think that Paul Jordaan has a big future in Durban with the Sharks.
Paul, thanks for your time and all the best for the future and we are all looking forward to seeing you in Sharks colours before long.
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How old is the young lad? Cant think that i’ve read his name somwhere
@JustPlainSHARK (Comment 1) : he’s just finishing matric at Grey College this year. So 18.
@JustPlainSHARK (Comment 1) : He is in matric.
Just checked on the SA rugby, he turned 18 in Jan this year
Awesome interview War..
Thanx for the insight.. We need to focus on our youngsters and give them as much publicity as they deserve..
PLAYER PROFILE
PAUL ABRAHAM JORDAAN
PERSONAL DETAILS
Full Name Paul Abraham
Surname Jordaan
Height 180
Weight 88
Birth Date 4 January 1992
Birth City Somerset East
Marital Status Single
Favourite Film Girl Next Door
Favourite Music Various
Favourite Food Steak en Chips
Primary School Gill Primary
Secondary School Grey College
Tertiary Education N/A
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 5) : Thanks Rich, I am very impressed with Paul’s character and I think he can go on to achieve great things with the Sharks
@war1 (Comment 4) : and anyone who has got as far as chapter 2 in Mike M’s book will know that sportsmen born in January have the biggest advantage. Piet Lindeque is also a January baby.
So is my Matthew
@robdylan (Comment 8) :
Are we gonna see Matthew run out for the Sharks not too long from now?
@robdylan (Comment 8) : Which shows why you and I as October babies didn’t do so well at rugby
@robdylan (Comment 8) :
Do you have a copy Rob? I started last night..
Okay, so i didnt make my name completely arse. Thought the exams referred to university exams. Wasnt there a WP scrummie also named Paul Jordaan?
@JustPlainSHARK (Comment 12) : OK I have just updated that, don’t know about that WP scrummie of yours.
@JustPlainSHARK (Comment 12) : there was, yup.
@war1 (Comment 10) : that’s it!
@war1 (Comment 13) :
I’m talking about a good few years ago now. Round about 2003 i think
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 11) : I did too. Cracking read
This guy is a quality player and hopefully the Sharks will start producing good centres again and not convert wings/fullbacks to centres.
Lets hope Paul lands up at Old Boys…whats the chances
@SheldonK (Comment 18) : the Sharks have bought a lot of young centres, hey. What do you know about Kayde Fisher?
Kayde Fisher plays at Old Boys.
Big lad for his age. Had a bad leg break at the beginning of this year so only started getting full fitness towards the end of the year. Very good prospect and hopefully will stay in the province.
Also heard very good things about Piet Linderque. I think the talent is there its just a bit young at the moment to come through. Althoug in saying that, the Pat Lambie’s and James O’Connors of the world show us that if your good enough your old enough!
@SheldonK (Comment 20) : ja – gotcha, but it’s a rare talent that can shine in senior rugby at the age of 19. Playing a bit more and breaking through in your 20s is also absolutely fine.
Lindeque is a fine prospect and a lad that we’ve had our eye on for some time.
@robdylan (Comment 19) : yes they have but they let one of their own go
(howard) one of the best up and comming centers in years
fuck the acadamy scouts stuffed up their big time
good day rob ,
@sharks_lover (Comment 23) : hey mate… you well?
From what I hear the Academy has stuffed up a bit in informing players what their futures are etc. And I believe Tukkies have been quick to jump at the talent…
@SheldonK (Comment 25) : you mean the fact that half of the Rovers team picked up sticks and joined Tukkies?
@robdylan (Comment 24) : good and you?
i hear cockott is a goner
@sharks_lover (Comment 27) : lekker man… is that so? Pity…
Not just from Rovers hey. Tukkies have been guys from all over that havnt been told by the academy/sharks that they in the 2011 plans. I think Tukkies are trying to do better in the Varsity Cup and the Pretoria league where they havnt been that great of late.
@robdylan (Comment 28) : i agree i like the player , just wish his attitude could have changed
@SheldonK (Comment 29) : there will bne changes in the sharks acadamy… one must also remember each year there is like 160 students… how many will play for the sharks?? not even 50% thats for sure
@sharks_lover (Comment 31) : Ya look for sure, i dont think even 30% end up playing for the sharks. And yes obviously selecting who to keep and who to let go is a very subjective thing and who i think is good someone else doesnt. I guess thats just the way of professional sport. So guess we can only hope that the sharks hold onto the good (injury free) players!
@sharks_lover (Comment 30) : well – I think they’ve given him the chance. Hell, more than enough chances to prove that he can put the team’s interests first.
Where’s he going? Prawvince?
@robdylan (Comment 33) : yup
@SheldonK (Comment 32) : on another note one must understand the sharks main team etc and coaches have nothing to do with who comes or leaves the acadamy , just like bashford and co knew about howard the brilliant center, just to find out he is going to the bulls , and the locoal scouts had slipt up
im just glad lambie has grown so much as a player , and young zeilinger will be with him soon , fly half depth will be good at the sharks
@sharks_lover (Comment 36) : Yeh i watch Zeilinger play a couple times, takes the ball flat and has good distribution skills. As I said i think there a very good youngsters in the system and given a bit of time they will come through.
Howard is going to Province, not the Bulls
look, I think we need to give the Academy its due … it is very successful at giving players a good grounding in the game and has been almost solely responsible for lifting the standard of club rugby in the province to what it is now – one of the strongest leagues anywhere in SA. Obviously with that many students coming in, many of whom are paying through the nose to be there, it has become a valuable source of income for the Union as well.
As sharks_lover and I were discussing the other day, though, more has to be done to ensure that the real cream – those top 20% of the academy boys that actually do have Sharks contracts – don’t get lost in the system and continue to get only the best coaching.
@robdylan (Comment 38) : sorry WP , but yeah he is leaving
@robdylan (Comment 39) : and a amen to that
@SheldonK (Comment 37) : zeilinger is the complete flyhalf
huge boot accurate , great runner strong tackler etc
no big boot is the one problem that guy cronje has , thus he will always struggle to cement a place in the sharks team
,
@sharks_lover (Comment 40) : Duncan Campbell, the Westville flyhalf, is another talent that is heading to Province. He’s great, but on the small side
look another way to look at it is that the other top unions are trying to steel from the sharks acadamy shows the talent we have and as long as we only let the ones go that does not have the right stuff to make it to the top thats fine.
Keep that top 20/30% of the group and we will be fine
@robdylan (Comment 43) : yeah i heard , but i know you agree , we can only keep so many
so much for the toer supporters crying we steal their talent
another i forgot to tell you rob is , the ungerer lad from MC that did not make the natal schools team . he has been noticed however by the sharks and has been drafted into the under 19s
big fast strong scrummy , i rate the kid big time , his dad is jaques ungerer also ex MCollege
I read an article where Jake White was raving about Fred Zeilinger
@sharks_lover (Comment 44) : Agree with that Sharky. Also read your post above and see Kockott will be gone next year. I for one wish he was staying. Not sure about Hoffman hardly have seen him play.
@sharks_lover (Comment 45) : why does that name ring so may bells?
We’re also getting Khaya Majola… Westville number 8 who reckons he’s the next Kanko. Also played SA Schools, I believe
@robdylan (Comment 48) : yeah rob , young ungere is following in his dads footseps , but i think he is even better
@Puma (Comment 47) : hey brudda hope you are well
as for hoffman i can tell you grant bashford is very excited about us getting him
cant speak highly enough about him
@robdylan (Comment 48) : Another big name
@robdylan (Comment 48) : the more i think about it the more i realise that what grant spoke of re the acadamy making a section which only looks after the top few is the right way to go
@sharks_lover (Comment 51) : It is impossible to have every player signing up for the academy to make it into the Sharks squad but it is good for South African rugby in general as the academy produces rugby players who can make their mark elsewhere as well.
@war1 (Comment 52) : exactly , now this is why the sharks want changes to the acadamy. to have a section which only look after the cream of that crop and they are signed and earmarked for the main squad
i know this is being worked on and based on the crusader setup in kiwi
@war1 (Comment 52) : anyone feel like doing an article about how many Academy layers are currently representing other teams, bot here and abroad?
@robdylan (Comment 54) : That would be a LOOOONG article won’t it?
@war1 (Comment 55) :
@war1 (Comment 55) : it would indeed
SL, I’m keen to get to the bottom of this kockott story… mind telling me where you heard it?
@robdylan (Comment 58) : rob this info came from the chairman of the sharks supporters club in cape towm who is very close to the sharks management
i will however to confirm call grant or hugh then get back to you
rob?
get onto yahoo lol
@robdylan (Comment 58) : are you rob otto dude?
@sharks_lover (Comment 49) : I am very well Sharky. You must be enjoying the Cape, weather must be great there now.
Will have to see Hoffman for myself playing next year. Only saw him once this year and he came off the bench and played wing. So really can’t say much about him until then. If Bashford thinks he is great then probably he is. David on keo said Hoffman was a great talent too.
Hoffman is a talented kid no doubt, did well when he had to jump into the deep end a few years back and play S14, the underwent shoulder surgery and when that was sorted was told he should be a flyhalf, from flyhalf he did the bhackline shuffle all the way to Sharks country
@Clayton(PJLD) (Comment 63) : good, so you’ve already broken him in for us
@Clayton(PJLD) (Comment 65) : man – why is today so sloooow?
@robdylan (Comment 66) : Watchu talking bout,im on my way home
@Clayton(PJLD) (Comment 67) : this 2 hour time difference is the pits
@robdylan (Comment 66) : Hey Rob. I think there are many rugby experts out there from different parts of the country who would not hesitate to rate Paul as their schoolboy player season. I’m no expert but have been fortunate enough to watch Paul live in action on 4 occasions in KZN this season and also see his Craven Week and SA HP u18 performances on TV. He’s is a skilled player with unbelievably pace off the mark. Some people may get annoyed by this but l like to compare him to the young Hennie le Roux that ran out for Transvaal in the early 1990s – an adventurous attacking multi-skilled player that struck fear into the hearts of defenders. What a good signing for the Academy. There is still a long road ahead of him if he wants to get to the top but he definitely starts the 2011 leg of his journey a little further up the path than many other guys his age. It’s going to be great to see him wearing the Black ‘n White. I think his nickname is “Tollie”
@robdylan (Comment 66) : This week I learnt that Paul has a younger brother Pieter who (and this is mind boggling when you consider the depth of quality players Grey Bloem has on it’s books) while in gr.10 (Std 8, Form IV) this year played for the Grey College first team. If that hasn’t grabbed the attention of every Academy scout out there I don’t know what ever will. Hopefully we can sign Pieter in a couple of years time. Grey Bloem have had a SA Schools /HP no.10 since 2007 – Sias Ebersohn,Franna du Toit and Johan Goosen x2, so they know how to breed stars in this possie.
@robdylan (Comment 68) : Earlier this year no.8 Neil Jordaan, also of Grey College won the main Sharks Academy bursary award at the Kearsney Easter Rugby festival. Do you know if he’s still set to join the Sharks Academy next year?
Beet, I believe Niel Jordaan turned down the bursary and is planning on staying with the Cheetahs
@robdylan (Comment 72) :
Thats a shame..
@robdylan (Comment 72) : Agreed with Richard, what a pity that Neil isn’t coming. Thanks for the info.
It would be great to know which players will be available for u19 selection next year.
Apart from our local guys like Jandre Jacobs,Senzo,Alwyn JvV,Jason Klaasen,Guy Alexander,Majola,Jafta (still u19),Ungerer(College schoolboy still),Dwayne Kelly (no longer u19 tho)Fred Zeilinga,Emil Schwarz,KG.
I know of A.Dell,B.Olivier,N.van Dyk,W.Fourie,D.Smit,P.Jordaan all heading our way. I’m sure there are many more.
Sorry meant to type: experts would rate Paul Jordaan as their player OF THE season in earlier post.
Only big name you missed that I know of is Gavin Hauptfleisch, the Paarl Boys High flyhalf. Speaking of Allan Dell, we’ll hopefully be interviewing him next week.