Kearsney sportsman is Scotland bound
Once he has competed his matric, Connor De Bruyn will head off to Scotland and play for the Glasgow Warriors.
CENTRE, Connor De Bruyn, is the second Kearsney College 1st team player to be contracted to play rugby overseas when he finishes writing matric next month.
De Bruyn will join the Glasgow Warriors in Scotland as he proved his ability on the field and because of his selection for the SA U18 7s team, which played in the Namibia International 7s Rugby Tournament in February. Prior to that, he was selected for the Sharks’ Grant Khomo team and identified for the SA U16 Elite squad.
“It’s a dream come true. I am so honoured to be a part of a rugby club that has great traditions and history that dates back to 1872,” said De Bruyn of the announcement made in Glasgow last week.
This comes hot on the heels of Kearsney 1st XV eighth-man Massimo Fierro who was contracted to the Italian Academy in Brescia from January.
A lack of game time this season due to the Covid-19 pandemic has made planning and selections more complicated for aspiring and talented young sportsmen.
“Our Kearsney 1st XV played two matches in the beginning of the season, before lockdown put an end to the rugby season,” said De Bruyn. “This would have been my second year playing for our 1sts; and I was so excited for my last rugby season at school.”
Last year he played outside centre and this year he took up the inside centre position.
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“Luckily, before Covid, I was selected for the SA U18 7s team and played in the Namibia International 7S Rugby Tournament. It was a fantastic experience to have Marius Schoeman and Philip Snyman as coaches and mentors.”
Dr Bruyn said he would be playing outside centre for the Glasgow Warriors Academy.
“Who knows where the future takes me, as I also played eighth-man most of my junior rugby career and feel comfortable in any of these positions. As I’m Scottish qualified, I’ll be working extra hard on my game to hopefully be selected for the U20 Scottish rugby team next year.”
Barend Steyn, his Kearsney 1st XV coach, said Dr Bruyn embraced the switch from loose forward to centre with such dedication and enthusiasm that he was, remarkably, selected for the Sharks Craven week team in his first year in this position in 2019.
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“Unfortunately, an untimely injury prevented him participating in the event,” said Steyn. “He has the ability to beat most defenders with his powerful acceleration off the mark and evasive skills in contact. Defensively, he makes good decisions and his physicality in the tackle has proven to be a real strength.”
Steyn said it would have been ‘special’ to witness De Bruyn’s further development in the midfield while still playing on local turf.
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