Tristan Tedder takes on Europe

IN the Highway area the name Tedder is synonymous with top class sportsmen, borne out by three Tedder cousins who played together for the host team at the Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival in 2014.

Stephen as a utility forward, Tristan as flyhalf and James played at wing.

That year, Stephen was head prefect at Kearsney College and was in the school’s first team for rugby and water polo.

Tristan was deputy head prefect, captain of Kearsney’s 1st rugby and cricket teams, and represented KwaZulu-Natal at both sports. James, then in Grade 11, played 1st team and provincial rugby and cricket. The following year he too was a prefect, as well as the head of Chapel.

At the end of each cricket season, Kearsney recognises its best 1st X1 players, including presenting awards to the best batsman, for the best catch and to the players’ player of the year. In another family record, all three awards were given to Tristan in 2014 and to James in 2015. They are the fourth generation of Tedders with a Kearsney connection.

ALSO READ: Hall kicks rugby training up a notch

Their great-grandfather, Lawrence Tedder taught at the school from 1946 to 1963 while their grandfather, Robin Tedder, matriculated at the school in 1956. Robin had four sons: the late Stephen Tedder who matriculated in 1981; former head boy, Clive (1985), whose son is James; Roger (1987) whose son is Stephen; and Bruce (1992) who has two sons, Tristan and Torin.

Now the Tedder name is being rooted in France where Tristan (24) has been contracted to Stade Toulousain since 2016. He joined the Sharks Academy after he matriculated and played the 2015-16 Currie Cup season with the Sharks, before he headed off to Europe.

Toulouse is the reigning Top 14 champion and one of the most successful clubs in Europe and won the Heineken Cup in 1996, 2003, 2005 and in 2010.

Last season, Tristan was on loan to Aviron Bayonnais, commonly called Bayonne, where he had a full spell in the Basque Country with the team that went on to win the Pro D2. He played in 27 games, with 18 starts and scored five tries.

“Yannick Bru (Bayonne head coach) was honest with me by telling me that he was going to give me a chance. ‘If you take this chance, you’re going to play, otherwise you’re not going to play. It’s up to you to make good matches.’ I think I took my chance,” said Tristan.

Now back in Toulouse, largely decided due to the 2019 World Cup when the club risked losing players, Tristan is hoping to have the opportunity to express himself this season.

Caxton Local Media Covid-19 reporting

Dear reader,
As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19.
Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za).

Do you want to receive alerts regarding this and other Highway community news via Telegram? Send us a Telegram message (not an SMS) with your name and surname (ONLY) to 060 532 5409.

You can also join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

PLEASE NOTE: If you have signed up for our news alerts you need to save the Telegram number as a contact to your phone, otherwise you will not receive our alerts.

Here’s where you can download Telegram on Android or Apple.