Reports from Durban suggest that current SA Schools lock Gideon Koegelenberg, who will start at the Sharks Academy next year, has been fast tracked into the Sharks under 19 side and may play against Free State this weekend; this despite being only 17 and still in school in a different province!
The 1.99m and 110kg Koegies, as he is known, played for Boland in the Craven Week and is a pupil at Hugenote High School in Wellington. We’re told, though, that arrangements have been made to allow the player to write his matric exams in Durban, rather than Wellington and he should thus be available for Etienne Fynn to select for the remainder of the season.
The Sharks under 19 side have battled a little for bulk up front and are also short of lineout options, so it’s hoped that, despite his youth, Koegelenberg will be able to help out in those areas. While I’m a little concerned at the precedent this sets, one must applaud the young player for the outstanding commitment he’s showing to his new team.
With scrumhalf Stefan Ungerer out injured at the moment, we believe that another schoolboy, Hilton’s Cameron Wright, may also be drafted into the squad this week.
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Nice big lock for the present and future, especially since he is only 17, and will probably still grow a fair bit.
Madness.
A pity that we are losing one of these props:
http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,3551_8050812,00.html