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The 2016 WP Rugby journey

PUBLISHED: October 17, 2016


DHL Western Province fell short of securing their place in a fifth consecutive Currie Cup Final, but that should not take away from a successful 2016 for Western Province Rugby – from youth level up.

DHL Western Province fell short of securing their place in a fifth consecutive Currie Cup Final, but that should not take away from a successful 2016 for Western Province Rugby – from youth level up.

The journey for John Dobson’s DHL Western Province team started back in with the Currie Cup Qualifying campaign. Despite being without the entire DHL Stormers squad and having to rely heavily on U21 and local club players, Dobson’s team won 13 of their 14 matches to finish the competition on top of the standings.

Although missing a large contingent of players to the Springbok squad and injury, DHL Western Province qualified for a seventh consecutive Currie Cup Premier Division semifinal by finishing third on the standings.

They managed that while playing a far more attacking brand of rugby, which saw them score four-try bonus points in all but two of their league fixtures this season.

There have also been a lot of talented young players brought through the system, with the likes of Leolin Zas, JD Schickerling, Kobus van Dyk and Jan de Klerk proving themselves more than ready to step up to Currie Cup level.

The coaching staff of Dobson and his assistants Dawie Snyman, Russell Winter, Paul Treu, Norman Laker and Charl Malherbe have also gained valuable experience that will continue to benefit the Union in seasons to come.

Earlier in the year the DHL Stormers secured their fourth conference trophy in six years under the guidance of Head Coach Robbie Fleck.

Fleck and his team pledged to play fearless rugby in a campaign which would see them pitted against teams from South Africa, Japan, Argentina and Australia, and they managed 10 wins from their 16 games with five defeats and a draw.

In their 15 regular season matches the DHL Stormers conceded just 28 tries, which was the least of any team in the competition, and managed to score 49 tries of their own.

DHL Stormers locks Eben Etzebeth and Pieter-Steph du Toit have both been nominated for the prestigious SA Rugby Player of the Year award, whilst Seabelo Senatla has been nominated in two categories, as Young Player of the Year and Sevens Player of the Year and Scottish international Huw Jones has been nominated as Currie Cup Premier Division Player of the Year.

The Union also carried on its proud record in the national Youth Weeks as the DHL Western Province U18 Craven Week, Academy Week, U16 XV Grant Khomo Week and U13 Craven Week teams all finished unbeaten, with the U16 Grant Khomo Week team losing just one game.

The DHL Western Province U19 and U21 teams both topped their respective competitions. DHL WP U19 lost just two of their 12 games in the regular season to secure their third consecutive semifinal spot, whilst national defending champions, DHL WP U21, lost just one match to make it five consecutive semifinals. Both teams will play in finals against their respective counterparts from the Xerox golden Lions next week.

DHL Western Province U18 captain Salmaan Moerat was named SA Schools captain, with flyhalf Damian Willemse his vice-captain. The Western Province Rugby Institute intake next year will feature 13 players from this year’s SA Schools side.

AT A GLANCE – SOME 2016 HIGHLIGHTS FOR WP RUGBY:

– DHL WP – Top the Currie Cup Qualifying competition, winning 13 of 14 games.
– DHL Stormers – Vodacom Super Rugby Conference winners (fourth time in six seasons).
– DHL WP Currie Cup team – finished third on the log to play in their seventh consecutive semifinal. (Province have won the Currie Cup on 33 occasions, more than any other Union.)
– DHL WP Under-19 team – Finished top of the Provincial U19 log with 10 wins from 12 league matches and through to third consecutive semifinal.
– DHL WP Under-21 team – Finished first on the Provincial U21 log and through to fifth consecutive final.
– DHL WP unbeaten and won final game at Under-13 Craven Week, Under-18 Academy and Under-18 Craven Week level. The U16 Grant Khomo team lost just one match in 2016.
– DHL WP Girls Under-16 and Under-18 teams lost just one match each.
– WP’s Salmaan Moerat was chosen as the 2016 SA Schools captain – in all, 13 WP schools players made it into the SA Schools squad this year.
– Damian de Allende won the 2016 Super Rugby Player of the Year Award.
– Four DHL Western Province players – Juan de Jongh, Cheslin Kolbe, Werner Kok and Seabelo Senatla – won Bronze medals in the Sevens at the Rio Olympics.
– Seven DHL WP junior players – Zain Davids, Ruben de Villiers, Carlü Sadie, Edwill van der Merwe, Ernst van Rhyn, Cobus Wiese and Eduard Zandberg – represented the Junior Springboks at the 2015 World Rugby Under-20 Championship in Manchester in June.