Having a look at the Varsity Cup action over the last couple of weeks I could not help but notice the amount of young talented players in the system at the moment. Many of them have represented the Junior World Championship side last year.
My thoughts dwelled on to think of what happened to all those players since winning the trophy. Well, here is a full list of the 2012 junior bok squad and where they are playing today. My research time and resources were limited but feel free to add on with your comments.
Springbok Capped – 1
Super Rugby Capped – 6 Players (2 Sharks, 2 Bulls, 2 Cheetahs, 1 Stormers)
* – Played in the IRB Junior World Championship Final. Jersey number bracketed
Backs:
Marais Schmidt – Playing for Lions U21’s
*Dillyn Leyds (15) – Varsity Cup for UCT
*Travis Ismaiel (23) – Super Rugby Bulls extended squad
*Raymond Rhule (14) – Super Rugby for Cheetahs
Tshotsho Mbovane – Blitzbokke Sevens
William Small-Smith – Bulls Super Rugby extended squad and Varsity Cup Tukkies
Paul Jordaan – Super Rugby for Sharks
Patrick Howard – WP Vodacom Cup
*Jan Serfontein (12) – Super Rugby for Bulls and junior Boks 2013
*Tony Jantjies (22) – Blue Bulls Junior levels
*Handrè Pollard (10) – Bulls Super Rugby extended squad and Varsity Cup Tukkies
*Vian van der Watt (9) – Lions U21
*Abrie Griesel (21) – Bulls Junior Levels
*Kobus van Wyk (13) – WP Vodacom Cup squad
*Tshotsho Mbovane (11) – Blitzbokke Sevens
Johan Goosen –Castle Championship for Springboks and Super Rugby for Cheetahs
Forwards:
*Wiaan Liebenberg (6 – C) – Somewhere with the Bulls
*Shaun Adendorff (20) – Bulls Super Rugby extended squad and Varsity Cup Tukkies
Khaya Majola – Unknown
*Braam Steyn (19) – Sharks junior levels
*Fabian Booysen (8) – Lions U21’s
*Pieter Steph du Toit (7) – Super Rugby for Sharks
*Ruan Botha (5) – Stormers Super Rugby extended squad
*Paul Willemse (4) – Bulls Super Rugby extended squad and Varsity Cup Tukkies
Marvin Orie – Junior Boks 2013
*Maks van Dyk (3) – Sharks junior levels
*Allan Dell (17) – Sharks Super Rugby extended squad
*Oliver Kebble (18) – WP junior levels
*Steven Kitshoff (1) – Super Rugby for Stormers
*Mark Pretorius (2) – Lions U21’s
Jason Thomas – Unknown
*Franco Marais (16) – Sharks Super Rugby extended squad
Tweet
Marais Schmidt – UJ Varsity Cup – out injured with broken jaw
Vian van der Watt – UJ Varsity Cup
Mark Pretorius – UJ Varsity Cup but out injured (I think)
Fabian Booysen – UJ Varsity Cup
Wiaan Liebenberg is playing Varsity Cup for Tuks, isn’t he?
Cool. I was wondering the same thing this weekend.
Was Goosen part of the junior squad?
Great article Viking! Always nice to see where these guys end up. I had thought of doing the same type of articles, in a series, for the Sharks Craven week teams since 2002, but it was too difficult to track down team sheets.
@King Shark (Comment 3) : Was originally but withdrew due to injury, which was why Pollard came in
@robdylan (Comment 2) : He was last year but I am not sure this year. I have not seen him yet but tracking down the varsity cup squads is more difficult that it would seem.
@King Shark (Comment 3) : He was initially, but as far as I remember Crystal Boy missed the tournament due to injury.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 7) : Yip…He missed it due to the shoulder injury picked up in super rugby.
Khaya Majola is at the sharks,played the odd game for the sharks u21 and is now in the extended vodacom cup squad
@King Shark (Comment 3) : Not last year, he was out injured with a shoulder injury remember.
@KingCheetah (Comment 10) : to be fair, it’s pretty hard to keep track of all Goosen’s injuries… he has 3 new ones each season.
Can you really count Goosen? He didn’t play at all during the JWC due to injury.