Michael Brink

Michael Brink

Personal information
Full name	Michael Muller Brink
Born	24 September 1996 Pretoria, South Africa
Height	1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
Weight	91 kg (14 st 5 lb)
School(s) attended	Hoërskool Grens, East London
Club information
Playing position	Fly-half / Fullback / Centre
Current club	Eastern Province Kings
Youth career
2012–2014	Border Bulldogs
2015–present	Eastern Province Kings
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps^†	(Pts)^†
2016–present	Eastern Province Kings	7	(14)
* Senior club appearances and points correct as of 22 July 2016. † Appearances (Points).

Michael Muller Brink (born 24 September 1996 in Pretoria, South Africa) is a South African rugby union player, currently playing with the Eastern Province Kings.^[1] He can play as a fly-half, fullback or inside centre.

Career

Border

Brink was born in Pretoria, but grew up in East London to represent the Border Bulldogs in youth competitions. He represented them at the Under-16 Grant Khomo Week held in Johannesburg in 2012, scoring two tries in their match against the Limpopo Blue Bulls in a 24–19 victory.^[2] In 2013, he played at the Under-18 Academy Week tournament, scoring tries against Limpopo^[3] and the Blue Falcons^[4] and scored 19 points with the boot to achieve a personal points haul of 29 points, the joint-sixth highest at the tournament.^[5]

He again represented the Border Under-18 side in 2014, this time at the premier South African high school competition, the Under-18 Craven Week held in Middelburg. He scored a hat-trick of tries in their match against Limpopo in a 78–17 win,^[6] which also meant he scored against the same opponents in three tournaments running. He also scored a try in a 55–26 win over Griquas^[7] to end the tournament with four tries to his name, just one behind four players that top-scored with five tries apiece.^[8]

Eastern Province Kings

After school, Brink moved to Port Elizabeth to join the Eastern Province Kings academy. He was included in the Eastern Province U19 squad that participated in Group A of the 2015 Under-19 Provincial Championship. He started matches in a variety of positions – fly-half, inside centre and fullback – during the season, and was also the main kicker for the team, eventually scoring 115 points, second only to Western Province's Tiaan Swanepoel.^[9] Brink appeared in ten of their twelve matches during the regular season, scoring one try in a 26–7 win over Sharks U19,^[10] to help them to eleven victories to qualify for a home semi-final. He kicked 16 points (two conversions and four penalties) in a 31–15 victory over Free State U19 in the semi-final^[11] and his boot also proved crucial in the final, as he kicked two penalties and two conversions in a 25–23 victory^[12] to help Eastern Province win the Under-19 Provincial Championship for the first time in their history.^[13]

Serious financial problems at the Eastern Province Kings at the end of the 2015 season saw a number of first team regulars leave the union^[14] and Brink was among a number of youngsters that were promoted to the squad that competed in the 2016 Currie Cup qualification series.^[15] He was named in the starting lineup for their first match of the season against the SWD Eagles,^[16] and kicked two conversions for the Kings in a 14–37 defeat.^[17]

In March 2016, Brink was included in a training squad for the South Africa Under-20 squad prior to the 2016 World Rugby Under 20 Championship,^[18] but he was not included in a reduced provisional announced squad a week later.^[19]

References

1. "SA Rugby Player Profile – Michael Brink". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
2. "SA Rugby Match Centre – Border 24-19 Limpopo". South African Rugby Union. 3 July 2012. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
3. "SA Rugby Match Centre – Limpopo Blue Bulls 19-19 Border". South African Rugby Union. 1 July 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
4. "SA Rugby Match Centre – Border 76-10 Blue Falcons". South African Rugby Union. 4 July 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
5. "SA Rugby Top Scorers – 2013 U18 Academy Week". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
6. "SA Rugby Match Centre – Limpopo Blue Bulls 17-78 Border". South African Rugby Union. 16 July 2014. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
7. "SA Rugby Match Centre – Border 55-26 Griquas". South African Rugby Union. 19 July 2014. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
8. "SA Rugby Try Scorers – 2014 U18 Craven Week". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
9. "SA Rugby Top Scorers – 2015 Absa Under 19 Competition". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
10. "SA Rugby Match Centre – Eastern Province U19 26-7 Sharks U19". South African Rugby Union. 29 August 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
11. "SA Rugby Match Centre – Eastern Province U19 31-15 Free State U19". South African Rugby Union. 16 October 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
12. "SA Rugby Match Centre – Eastern Province U19 25-23 Blue Bulls U19". South African Rugby Union. 24 October 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
13. "WP young guns, EP clinch junior titles". South African Rugby Union. 25 October 2015. Archived from the original on 31 May 2016. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
14. "Kings facing player exodus?". Rugby365. 11 November 2015. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
15. "SA Rugby Squad – EP Kings : 2016 Currie Cup Qualifying". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
16. "EP Kings team announced for SWD Eagles match". South African Rugby Union. 5 April 2016. Archived from the original on 7 April 2016. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
17. "SA Rugby Match Centre – EP Kings 14-37 SWD Eagles". South African Rugby Union. 9 April 2016. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
18. "Large group invited to Junior Springbok trials camp". South African Rugby Union. 24 March 2016. Archived from the original on 31 May 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
19. "Theron names provisional Junior Springbok squad". South African Rugby Union. 1 April 2016. Archived from the original on 31 May 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2016.