Kearsney’s rugby royalty enchants fans worldwide

KEARSNEY College’s rugby troika, brothers Robert, Daniel and Jean-Luc du Preez, have kept spectators enthralled and set many records on rugby pitches across the globe.

In 2018, new Springbok head coach, Rassie Erasmus, named the three brothers for his 43-man squad for the June internationals, to make history as the first set of three siblings to be named together in a Bok squad.

In another record, twins Dan and Jean-Luc were only the country’s second set of twins to don the green and gold, following in the footsteps of Odwa and Akona Ndungane.

The three brothers have rugby in their genes as they are the sons of Robert du Preez senior, the former Sharks’ head coach and distinguished Springbok scrum half in the 1992/93 season. He is the first Springbok player to have two sons also capped as Springboks.

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Robert junior, who plays at flyhalf and fullback positions, matriculated from Kearsney College in 2011 and his twin brothers in 2013.

The trio impressed spectators at the 2011 Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival, with the younger pair also showing their skills in the subsequent 2012 and 2013 festivals.

During their rugby days at Kearsney, talk that they would go on to earn higher honours closely followed their consistent standout performances which set them apart from many of their peers.

Further highlighting the family’s rugby pedigree, Robert was selected for the SA U20 squad in 2013 and for the Barbarians team that played New Zealand at Twickenham in 2017.As he was part of Western Province’s victorious Currie Cup team the previous season, he joined his brothers and father at the Durban Sharks franchise in 2018.

Dan and Jean-Luc were included in the SA U20 squad for the 2014 IRB Junior World Championships. Injury unfortunately ruled out Daniel’s hopes of playing in the competition, but he was selected again the following year ahead of the 2015 U20 championships.

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The 1.94m flanker Jean-Luc was named in the Springbok touring squad in 2016, going on to make his international debut that November against Wales in Cardiff. His slightly taller 1.96m brother, Dan, made his debut against France the following year to make history, as it was the first time in South African rugby that two sons of a Springbok had played Test rugby.

The big, physical loose-forward pairing, each weighing approximately 112kg, often played together during their time with the Sharks, in both Super Rugby and Currie Cup fixtures.

All three brothers are currently contracted to the Sale Sharks in England as they left the Durban-based Sharks franchise at the end of last season.

On their departure, the proudly KZN twins said it was an opportunity they couldn’t turn down as they were keen to experience playing in a new environment and to test themselves against the best players in the northern hemisphere.

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