It’s summer time in Europe and with the new French rugby season starting next month, Facebook seems full of the usual pictures and check-ins, as increasingly more of our intrepid rugby players take the plunge and head abroad to earn a bit of cash.
While we tend to be very aware of it when senior players make the move (like Paul Jordaan, who has just arrived in La Rochelle), often promising junior players can slip away under the proverbial radar. While this is not necessarily a trend to panic about, I think it is interesting to keep tabs on some of these movements, even if it’s just to say “we had him first” when one of these youngsters makes it big in France. One such player is former Impi flyhalf Tristan Tedder, who recently enjoyed a first start for Toulouse against Racing Metro in a warm-up game.
Young Shark is very much “on the menu” over in France, with our old friend Jake White, at Montpellier, being a particular fan. Promising scrumhalf Cameron White is doing doing great things on the South Coast with White and it has emerged that he’s managed to lure another player over in the form of former Sharks under 19 captain Chris de Beer. De Beer, a skillful hooker whose size allows him to operate a loose head prop as well, matriculated at Hilton in 2012 and led the under 19 side the following year. It’s understood that White spotted him in 2014 and suggested a permanent move to prop, but de Beer’s progress since his under 19 days has been stifled due to injury over two frustrating seasons.
With plenty of competition within the Sharks squad at both prop and hooker – and without the benefit of an established track record due to those injuries – it makes sense for de Beer to grab the Montpellier opportunity and establish himself elsewhere, under a coach who sees his potential and will back him. We wish him all the best for the future.
Another young Shark who is giving life in France a bash is lock Christie van der Merwe. Having played for the under 19 side in 2015 and UKZN this year, the former Boland Craven Week representative has joined Agen ahead of the new season. We wish him luck as well.
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Best of luck guys.
Life must be very tough for the French youngsters coming through…perhaps a few wouldnt mind the sunny durban climate?
All I can say is I hope you use your chance and good luck guys!
Would love to see a list of all ex Sharks players now playing in France or UK. Quite a few i can think of…Al Hargreaves, Brad Barrett, Ruan Pienaar, Marcel Coetzee, Paul Jordaan, JPP, BJ Botha (retired?), Bissie and Jannie Duplessis, Cameron Wright, Rory Kockett, Scott Spedding, Juandre and Piet Marais, Meyer Bosman, Andries Strauss, Anton Bresler, Riaan Swanepoel, Louis Ludick…im sure im missing a few
@SheldonK (Comment 4) : One glaring admission in that line up and how quickly we forget brilliance,Willam Alberts
@The hound (Comment 5) : Indeed…didnt even cross my mind. With all his injuries i tend to think he is retired.
we need some french flair again – just for backup – you know worst case scenarios…
@SheldonK (Comment 6) : Was my favourite player for a long time.I don’t think I ever witnessed a harder tackler,not even Lem or Bakkies.
@The hound (Comment 8) : Have to agree with you there. When fit and firing he is an absolute pleasure to watch- absolutely devastating
@The hound (Comment 8) : @SheldonK (Comment 9) : for sure but I must say I do think he’s been playing with injuries for some time now so he’s not as devastating as he can be.
The kind of game Rob du Preez wants the Sharks to play would probably benefit more from a scrummie like Cameron White, instead of Ungerer.