Players for the Currie Cup final of 2023 and their schools
No less than 33 schools will be represented during this year’s Currie Cup final between the Cheetahs and Pumas in Bloemfontein.
There are two schools that will be leading the pack – Hoërskool Nelspruit and Grey College, who have four representatives each taking part in the final.
Interesting as that three of the Nelspruit Rhinos – Conraad van Vuuren, Marnus van der Merwe and Daniel Maartens will be playing for the Cheetahs against the union they represented as juniors. The other old-Rhino Dewald Maritz will come off the bench for the Pumas.
The four players from South Africa’s rugby factory, Grey College, are Ruan Pienaar, Rewan Kruger, George Cronje and Robert Ebersohn. Pienaar matriculated in 2002 while Cronje and Ebersohn captained Grey’s First XV in 2019 and 2007 respectively.
Like with the Springbok squad most of the players that will be in action is not from the traditional rugby schools. There is truly a major shift happening in South African schools rugby and which players make a career out of the game after school.
Westville Boys’ High and Waterkloof have three players each in the final. The three Klofies Tinus de Beer, Corne Fourie and Giovan Snyman will all be in action for the Pumas. Their coach, Jimmy Stonehouse, also coached Waterkloof’s First XV earlier in his coaching career.
The teams:
Cheetahs: 15 Tapiwa Mafura (Hoërskool Ermelo), 14 Daniel Kasende (Queens High), 13 David Brits (Selborne College), 12 Reinhardt Fortuin (Paul Roos Gimnasium/Diamantveld), 11 Cohen Jasper (HTS Drostdy), 10 Ruan Pienaar (Grey College), 9 Rewan Kruger (Grey College), 8 Friedle Olivier (Johan Jurgens), 7 Sibabalo Qoma (Westville Boys’ High), 6 Gideon van der Merwe (Potchefstroom Gimnasium), 5 Victor Sekekete (Queens High – captain), 4 Rynier Bernardo (Framesby), 3 Conraad van Vuuren (Hoërskool Nelspruit), 2 Marnus van der Merwe (Hoërskool Nelspruit), 1 Nqobisizwe Moxoli (Westville Boys’ High). Replacements: 16 Louis van der Westhuizen (Hoërskool Windhoek), 17 Alulutho Tshakweni (Hudson Park), 18 Hencus van Wyk (Nylstroom), 19 Jeandre Rudolph (Oakdale Landbou), 20 George Cronje (Grey College), 21 Daniel Maartens (Hoërskool Nelspruit), 22 Evardi Boshoff (Lichtenburg), 23 Robert Ebersohn (Grey College).
Pumas: 15 Devon Williams (Paarl Boys’ High), 14 Andrew Kota (Welkom Gimnasium), 13 Diego Appolis (Garsfontein), 12 Ali Mgijima (Louis Botha), 11 Etienne Taljaard (Jim Fouche), 10 Tinus de Beer (Waterkloof), 9 Chriswill September (HTS Drostdy), 8 Kwanda Dimaza (Dale College), 7 Francois Kleinhans (Glenwood), 6 Andre Fouche (Hoërskool Rustenburg), 5 Shane Kirkwood (Marais Viljoen – captain), 4 Deon Slabbert (Westville Boys’ High), 3 Simon Raw (SACS), 2 PJ Jacobs (Monument), 1 Corne Fourie (Waterkloof). Replacements: 16 Darnell Osuagwu (Parktown Boys’ High), 17 Etienne Janeke (Nico Malan), 18 Dewald Martitz (Hoërskool Nelspruit), 19 Malembe Mpofu (The King’s School), 20 Ruwald van der Merwe (Hoërskool Rustenburg), 21 Giovan Snyman (Waterkloof), 22 Gene Willemse (Oakdale Landbou), 23 Wian van Niekerk (Paarl Gimnasium).
The players and their schools:
4 – Hoërskool Nelspruit (Conraad van Vuuren, Marnus van der Merwe, Daniel Maartens, Dewald Maritz); Grey College (Ruan Pienaar, Rewan Kruger, George Cronje, Robert Ebersohn).
3 – Westville Boys’ High (Sibabalo Qoma, Nqobisizwe Moxoli, Deon Slabbert); Waterkloof (Tinus de Beer, Corne Fourie, Giovan Snyman).
2 – Queens High (Daniel Kasende, Victor Sekekete); Hoërskool Rustenburg (Andre Fouche, Ruwald van der Merwe ); HTS Drostdy (Cohen Jasper, Chriswill September); Oakdale Landbou (Jeandre Rudolph, Gene Willemse).
1 – Garsfontein (Diego Appollis); Louis Botha (Ali Mgijima); Potchefstroom Gimnasium (Gideon van der Merwe); Framesby (Rynier Bernardo); Lichtenburg (Evardi Boshoff); Nylstroom (Hencus van Wyk); Johan Jurgens (Friedle Olivier); Jim Fouche (Etienne Taljaard); Welkom Gimnasium (Andrew Kota); Paarl Boys’ High (Devon Williams); Hoërskool Windhoek (Louis van der Westhuizen); Hudson Park (Alulutho Tshakweni); Selborne College (David Brits); Marais Viljoen (Shane Kirkwood); The King’s School (Malembe Mpofu); Nico Malan (Etienne Janeke); Monument (PJ Jacobs), SACS (Simon Raw); Parktown Boys’ High (Darnell Osuagwu); Paarl Gimnasium (Wian van Niekerk); Dale College (Kwanda Dimaza); Glenwood (Francois Kleinhans); Hoërskool Ermelo (Tapiwa Mafura); Paul Roos Gimnasium/Diamantveld (Reinhardt Fortuin).
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