There was a special milestone for the Sharks this past weekend, as unheralded 21-year-old scrumhalf Grant Williams became the 250th player in history to represent the Sharks in Super Rugby. Williams was one of five debutants for the franchise on the day.
Super Rugby started for the Sharks – at least in the professional era – back in 1996, with a game against Western Province on 3 March. The mechanism by which cap numbers were determined seems to have changed a little over the years, but back then, the numbers started with the fullback and then counted down through the team, making Andre Joubert, who wore 15 that day, officially (and fittingly) Sharks Super Rugby player number 1 and Robbie Kempson number 15. By a strange quirk of fate, current CEO Gary Teichmann’s jersey number happened to intersect with his player number and will forever be Shark number 8.
Replacements were far less of a thing in those days, but the handing out of numbers to guys who take the field appears to have been done pretty strictly in order of when in the game they actually came on; John Slade (16) and Dieter Kriese (17) where the only reserves used in that first match. Another surprising feature of the 1996 season is that only 23 players in total played for the Sharks over the course of 13 matches, culminating in a final against the Blues. Current Sharks coaches Dick Muir (4) and Robert du Preez (19) were among that special group.
Fast forward a few years and we have a few more notable milestones. Former CEO John Smit (49) just missed out on a big number, with the special number 50 going to another recently departed staff member, centre Deon Kayser. Both made their debuts against the Waratahs in 1999’s season opener, a game and campaign that Sharks fans would rather forget. Current Chief Operating Office Eduard Coetzee was player number 75, with other milestones as follows:
100 – Nico Breedt
150 – Fred Michalak
200 – Heimar Williams
250 – Grant Williams (funny little coincidence there)
Very few players in the current squad boast numbers lower than 200 – in fact, there are only five. Stephan Lewies (199) gets in by the skin of his teeth, with Tera Mtembu (181), Lwazi Mvovo (165) and Beast Mtawarira (144) all there too. The lowest number in the current Sharks set up belongs to none other than Keegan Daniel (137), who was the only debutant in a game against the Reds on 1 April 2006.
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Interesting. 😎
Who was first etc to comment on this site?
@McLovin (Comment 2) : http://www.sharksworld.co.za/2008/02/04/welcome-to-sharksworld/
@robdylan (Comment 3) : Thanks old boy. Blast from the past that is. 🙂
@McLovin (Comment 4) : i spent some time going through those posts – man that’s awesome stuff! thats 10 year anniversary
@McLovin (Comment 4) : I meant to do a big splash to celebrate 10 years of Sharksworld but I got distracted and missed the opportunity.
@DuToit04 (Comment 5) : Can’t believe it.
@robdylan (Comment 6) : Thought I missed it somehow.
Still time. 2018 is still young.
23 players all season is one HELL of a stat. Quite unbelievable.
Rob – how do you figure 14 matches, though. Wouldn’t it have been 13? 11 league games, semi and final – what am I missing?
@Shakes34 (Comment 9) : ah – yes. I miscounted
Any idea where the Fleck slayer has gone.
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 11) : Deon Keyser?
@McLovin (Comment 2) : @robdylan (Comment 3) : So the fist person to get excited by Sharksworld is a Province supporter. Now that’s unusual 😯
@Hulk (Comment 13) : The True colours comes out…Shows you how good the content here is!
😉
@DuToit04 (Comment 14) : This is true and it’s the one place you can actually have a rugby conversation without it inevitably descending into chaos. On another note we have few trolls here, unlike the vast majority of all other sites. Think this is because of Rob’s very strict no politics rule.
@Hulk (Comment 13) : We go where we’re needed. Always giving, looking out for the little guys. 😉
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 11) : nah – they seem to have turfed him. Last I heard he had no clear plans
Fun fact – Fleckie is bok no. 674, Kayser 675.
@robdylan (Comment 3) : Yeah, I have been on the site since 2010 – would’ve had far more stars if I actually typed more stuff. Whatever happened to ICE and KSA Shark?
@McLovin (Comment 18) : Enough to give Fleckie nightmares of Wellington…
@Richard (Comment 19) : You can have one of mine dude. …
@robdylan (Comment 6) : I remember why you started Sharksworld
@robdylan (Comment 6) : little bit late but happy 10th birthday to Sharksworld!!!
@Richard (Comment 19) : don’t tell my boss but think I got a couple of my stars whilst supposedly working! 😈
The Pride shown by Rhyno Smith – this is why I’m a fan : “smithrhynoMy first green and gold jersey of any kind. This is how I choose to remember it, on our knees thanking God for the talent and opportunity to sweat and bleed to bring glory to Him, make our family’s proud, leave a legacy worth talking about and make this country proud again of that iconic jersey. #japiemaakgeraas #God #family #legacy#workworkwork #blitzbokke #sevensacademy”
@coolfusion (Comment 21) : Haha, nah, I’ll just keep plodding along 😉 @JD (Comment 24) : Yep, this bloody site has sometimes taken a bit too much of my time during a work week.
@Richard (Comment 26) : Oh really? 😉
Highlanders and Blues dishing up a cracker so far.
@Shakes34 (Comment 12) : Yep, sorry for the late response.
@McLovin (Comment 28) : Is there rugby on today? now I remember why I gave up playing SuperBru, pity I didnt remember this a week ago when I decided to give it a go again.
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 30) : Rugby done for the day. Gave up Superbru years ago. Tired of being annoyed at teams/results I don’t give a shit about.
Also I’m rubbish at it.
So far my predictions are spot on.
Highlander to win a close but open game.
And Rebels to beat Reds, but didn’t get that margin, the red card skews it a tad, so early on – but that was stupid play.
Still think dumping Quade Cooper was shortsighted.
@Richard (Comment 32) : Was the red card bad?
@McLovin (Comment 33) : Not disgusting, just stupid, reckless – deserved the card. You’d expect better from the skipper.
@Richard (Comment 34) : I see, thanks.
@McLovin (Comment 35) : Yeah dangerous shoulder charge.
@Richard (Comment 36) : Won’t be the last I reckon.
@McLovin (Comment 37) : Nope. But the head is a no-go area, and rightly so. I’m sure you’ll see it before the weekend is out, I’d like your thoughts?
@Richard (Comment 38) : Agree. It’s Friday afternoon, my thoughts are quite limited.
@McLovin (Comment 39) : Beer in hand already, and enjoying the Cape Town rain. Missus out with her mates, so it’s me and the TV, beer and chow. Happy Weekend!
@Richard (Comment 40) : Enjoy. Still at work.
Happy it’s raining. 😎
Keen to see how we go against tahs
@coolfusion (Comment 42) : Wp game should give us some clues
@coolfusion (Comment 43) : Tahs by 7-10 I reckon.
@McLovin (Comment 44) : Honestly can’t say, haven’t seen much of them.
@McLovin (Comment 44) : Good call. However I think stormers threw this away. They had to he opportunity being equal and having a yellow on their side. BMT just not there.
Bulls win prevented me from getting a full complement of correct predictions for the round
great to see the weather girls lose 😀
we will show them how to beat the tahs next sat at 3pm 🙂
Well done JM at the bulls
hope the sharks are working on our scrum as we speak
Whose leading the sharks superbru log now ?
@coolfusion (Comment 46) : All round lack of intelligence from everyone involved. On and off the field. Have very low expectations for them.
Will be interesting to see who they replace Fleck with later this year.
NSW Waratahs touring squad
1. Kurtley Beale
2. Damien Fitzpatrick
3. Lalakai Foketi
4. Israel Folau
5. Bernard Foley
6. Jake Gordon
7. Ned Hanigan
8. Jed Holloway
9. Bryce Hegarty
10. Michael Hooper (Captain)
11. Harry Johnson-Holmes
12. Andrew Kellaway
13. Tolu Latu
14. Will Miller
15. Taqele Naiyaravoro
16. Alex Newsome
17. Nick Palmer
18. Hugh Roach
19. Tom Robertson
20. Curtis Rona
21. Paddy Ryan
22. Mitch Short
23. Tom Staniforth
24. Lachlan Swinton
25. Kalivati Tawake
26. Shambeckler Vui
27. Michael Wells
@McLovin (Comment 48) : A shame though there were some very nice touches. Also some very tight defence at moments. But at a crucial time giving away penalty after unnecessary penalty when they should have been capitalising on the weakness in the opposing team. Frustrating really….
@McLovin (Comment 48) : Already talk of sacking your coach? Man you guys were unlucky at the end there. Surely a reason to fire a coach 😆 👿
@Quintin (Comment 51) : Fleck is rumoured to be going to Ospreys
@revolverocelot (Comment 47) : Blame it on the TMO :twisted:. Marius Jonker had a shocker and it all started when he didnt need to even look at the replays to sanction the Canes number 4 lock.
Glad to see the Bulls pulling finger and starting to play to potential.
It might only be a SupeRugby game but I think that win does a lot for all the Saffa teams self belief.
@Baylion (Comment 52) : Does that mean that somebody else got hold of John Dobson before the Ospreys could.
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 54) : Dobson is taking over at the Stormers apparently
@Baylion (Comment 55) : About time too.
@Quintin (Comment 51) : Not sacking him. He’s leaving to coach Ospreys apparently.
@McLovin (Comment 57) : The articles say he is one option for them on a shortlist…maybe it doesn’t happen? Or am I being media naive?
@pastorshark (Comment 58) : Maybe, but pretty much done deal as far as I’m aware. Suppose we’ll have to wait for official announcement.
@McLovin (Comment 59) : Any idea about the timing?
@pastorshark (Comment 60) : according to a story just written by Stephen Nell, the answer is the 31st of Neveruary.
Fleck will apparently honour his contract and stay with the Stormers until 2019
@robdylan (Comment 61) : So he’s definitely going then.
😉
@McLovin (Comment 62) : haha yeah – that was my immediate thought as well
@robdylan (Comment 61) : @robdylan (Comment 63) : 😆
My thoughts exactly…
Neveruary…kakaka!