From factories and club rugby... Swanepoel finally hits the big time

Tiaan Swanepoel in the colours of West Harbour Pirates.

Tiaan Swanepoel in the colours of West Harbour Pirates.

Published Jan 20, 2020

Share

JOHANNESBURG – Young Lions back Tiaan Swanepoel believes a year of working in factories and playing club rugby at night in Australia has steeled him for Super Rugby.

Unlike many young players today, the 23-year-old has some life experience, having got to this stage of his career the hard way.

“I was schooled in Cape Town at Stellenberg, played Varsity Cup rugby for Maties and even featured for the Western Province U21 team and in 2018 was under contract,” explained the young fullback, who’s equally comfortable at flyhalf.

“But then I suffered a bad hip injury that required surgery and I was out for the year and out of contract. My agent suggested I go to Australia and play some club rugby, which I did. I started all over again.”

Swanepoel said this week, days out from the Lions’ opening Super Rugby game against the Jaguares in Buenos Aires, that it was a wonderful learning experience running out for Sydney’s West Harbour Pirates.

“I had a normal eight-to-five job; hard labour in a factory,” he explained.

“I’d never worked before ... it was hard and boring, but I had to do it, for some money. And then every night I’d go to training until nine, and the next day I’d do it all again.

“Game day was Saturday. The body took a beating and recovery wasn’t always easy. It was very different from being at Stellenbosch and playing Varsity Cup.”

Swanepoel will mainly compete with Springbok fullback Andries Coetzee for a place in the Lions starting team, but he will also cover for flyhalf Elton Jantjies.

“I played at fullback for most of my high school days through to U21s and then changed to flyhalf, where I mainly played in Australia last year,” said the stocky back.

“It was something new playing at 10; I had to get used to a few things, like from fullback you attack from deep and at flyhalf who’re playing more flat. I enjoy both positions though and feel comfortable in either.”

Believed to possess a boot as big as Frans Steyn’s, Swanepoel said he was looking forward to slotting into a Lions game-plan that promoted attacking, running rugby.

“It’s my first season here but it looks like we’ll definitely try to play a more balanced game between running and kicking this year,” he said. “I think the Lions struggled in the past with the kicking, but this year they have right and left footed kickers so we’ll change things up a bit.”

Swanepoel is expected to wear the No 15 jersey against the Jaguares with Coetzee not on tour, having only arrived back in Joburg from Japan earlier this week.

Coach Ivan van Rooyen will name his team for the match tomorrow.

@jacq_west

 

The Star

Like us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

Related Topics: