Woolls was one of his club’s ‘silver linings’ in an otherwise disappointing campaign for the Owls, scoring a team-high 13 tries – same number as his jersey number. He discussed his rugby background and his relationship with the Owls and a certain Springbok great.
What are your thoughts on being one of the club’s most outstanding players this past season?
In 2016, I played for Springs. Prior to that I played for Boksburg before coming back this year. There are a lot of new faces here. We’re still a young team, and lots of guys didn’t play as a team. So I hope some of the guys can look up to my performances and maybe practise harder and do more than what I’ve done.
If there was anything you could change about the season, what would it be?
Getting to know each other better and how to play off each other; we need to improve on that. I wish all the players that were here this year could stick around so we can build for the next season.
Who would you say was your toughest direct opponent?
I would say Cameron [Lentoor], he’s quite fast. So it was a bit tough to catch him. If you give him a little gap, you must close it quickly.
How tough was it for you personally and the team to finish outside of the play-off positions?
I think the biggest reason why we didn’t make it is because most of our games were very close. In some of the games we were ahead. I remember when we played Vereeniging we were ahead. I think fitness also played a big role because in the second halves we dropped the intensity and that is where we lost the games.
You’ve had some great moments this year, which one would you say stood out the most for you?
There are two that stood out the most. The one was when we played Brakpan at home in our first game. There was that one run which started in our 22 and was scored under the post. And the other one was at Springs, when I also got the ball near the half line and then I ran up to the 5m line just in front of the try line and passed it to one of our players who scored.
How important was coach Marcell Fourie in your great performances?
He’s a very good coach. When he was around, he brought a lot of inspiration. He knows how to motivate the players to focus on every game. Coach Sean [Scheepers] also played a great role.
How and when did you start playing the game?
My brother Gary taught me how to play rugby. I was still young, I was such a naive player; I used to play lock. I was physical and liked to tackle and do all the dirty work. He showed me all the ropes and rules and I slowly but surely got better. Throughout my school career I was moved to flank and then centre.
Is outside centre your favourite playing position?
Yes, I’ve played many positions – I even played wing in the u-21 Currie Cup. At club level I prefer outside centre.
Who’s the joker in the squad?
I would say Juan Brummer, our hooker. He’s always full of laughs.
Who’s your favourite rugby player and why?
My favourite will always be Percy Montgomery. I watch a lot of previous videos of him. He was quite fast and he also liked to run with the ball. He was a very good kicker. In matric I used to kick for our team so I looked up to how he kicked and played. – @SabeloBoksburg
