Stefan Willemse

Stefan Willemse
Personal information
Born (1992-04-12) 12 April 1992
Paarl, South Africa
Height 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in)
Weight 114 kg (17 st 13 lb)
School(s) attended Paarl Gimnasium
Club information
Playing position Flanker / Lock
Current club Kings / Western Province
Youth career
2011 Blue Bulls U19
2012 Sharks U21
2013 Eastern Province U21
Amateur team(s)
Years Team
2013–present NMMU Madibaz 16 (5)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Pts)†
2013–2015 Eastern Province Kings 42 (40)
2016–present Kings 11 (0)
2016–present Western Province 4 (0)

* Senior club appearances and points correct as of 25 October 2016.

† Appearances (Points).

Stefan Willemse (born 12 April 1992) is a South African rugby union player, currently playing Super Rugby with the Kings and Currie Cup rugby with Western Province.[1] His regular position is flanker or lock.

Career

Youth and Varsity rugby

Willemse played for the Blue Bulls U19 side during the 2011 Under-19 Provincial Championship competition, which saw the side progress to the final, where they lost to the Golden Lions U19.[2] He moved to Durban in 2012 to join the Sharks. He made just three substitute appearances for the Sharks U21 side in the 2012 Under-21 Provincial Championship competition, with an ankle injury curtailing his progress.[3]

Willemse then made the move to Port Elizabeth, where he joined Varsity Cup side NMMU Madibaz. He was a key player for the team during the 2013 and 2014, helping them reach the semi-finals of the competition on both occasions.

He also made a single appearance for the Eastern Province U21 side in their promotion/relegation play-off match against the Border U21 side, but could not help the team win promotion to Division A.[4]

Eastern Province Kings

At the conclusion of the 2013 Varsity Cup, Willemse was included in the Eastern Province Kings squad for the 2013 Vodacom Cup,[5] and made his first class debut against SWD Eagles.[6] He scored his first try in his next match, a 27–23 victory over the Sharks XV[7] After a third substitute appearance in the next match against the Boland Cavaliers – with Willemse once again scoring in a 27–23 victory[8] – he started his first senior match in the EP Kings' quarter final match against the Blue Bulls, scoring a try in his third consecutive match to help the EP Kings to a dramatic 34–31 victory.[9] He made his second start in their 39–13 semi-final loss to the Pumas in Nelspruit.[10]

He was retained for the senior side when the 2013 Currie Cup First Division season kicked off, making his first Currie Cup appearance in the opening fixture, when he started the match against the Pumas.[11] He made a total of seven starts and four substitute appearances during the campaign, scoring five tries during the campaign (two in each of their matches against the Leopards[12] and the Falcons[13] and one more against the Boland Cavaliers),[14] helping the EP Kings to second place in the competition and subsequently winning promotion to the 2014 Currie Cup Premier Division.

He made two appearances for the Kings during the 2014 Vodacom Cup, as the Kings finished fifth in the Southern Section to miss out on a play-off spot. In June 2014, he was selected on the bench for the Eastern Province Kings side to face Wales during their 2014 tour of South Africa. He came on just before the hour mark as the Kings suffered a 12–34 defeat.[15] He made his debut in the Premier Division of the Currie Cup during the 2014 season; he started their opening match of the season against Western Province in Port Elizabeth[16] and played in the first eight rounds of the competition before an AC joint injury ruled him out of the last two rounds.[17]

References

  1. ↑ "SA Rugby Player Profile – Stefan Willemse". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
  2. ↑ "Match Breakdown: Lions vs Blue Bulls". South African Rugby Union. 29 October 2011. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
  3. ↑ "Madibaz-trane 'rol ná Pukke-stryd'". Die Burger (in Afrikaans). 10 April 2014. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
  4. ↑ "Match Breakdown: Border vs EP Kings". South African Rugby Union. 19 October 2013. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
  5. ↑ "SA Rugby Squad – Eastern Province Kings : 2013 Vodacom Cup". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  6. ↑ "Eastern Province Kings vs South Western Districts". South African Rugby Union. 12 April 2013. Retrieved 12 April 2013.
  7. ↑ "Match Breakdown: Eastern Province Kings vs Sharks XV". South African Rugby Union. 20 April 2013. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
  8. ↑ "Match Breakdown: Regent Boland Cavaliers vs Eastern Province Kings". South African Rugby Union. 27 April 2013. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
  9. ↑ "Match Breakdown: Vodacom Blue Bulls vs Eastern Province Kings". South African Rugby Union. 4 May 2013. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
  10. ↑ "Match Breakdown: Steval Pumas vs Eastern Province Kings". South African Rugby Union. 10 May 2013. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
  11. ↑ "Steval Pumas vs Eastern Province Kings". South African Rugby Union. 29 June 2013. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
  12. ↑ "Match Breakdown: Leopards vs Eastern Province Kings". South African Rugby Union. 30 August 2013. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
  13. ↑ "Match Breakdown: Eastern Province Kings vs Valke". South African Rugby Union. 20 September 2013. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
  14. ↑ "Match Breakdown: Regent Boland Cavaliers vs Eastern Province Kings". South African Rugby Union. 13 September 2013. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
  15. ↑ "Match Breakdown: Eastern Province Kings vs Wales". South African Rugby Union. 10 June 2014. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
  16. ↑ "Match Breakdown: Eastern Province Kings vs DHL Western Province". South African Rugby Union. 8 August 2014. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
  17. ↑ "Stefan Willemse out for rest of season". Eastern Province Kings. 29 September 2014. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
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