Monegeng said he started playing rugby when he was only 13 years old. From there he never looked back.
“I started playing rugby at high school (Elandspark High School). My teacher, who is also the coach of the U13 school rugby team, is the one who encouraged me to play rugby. He could see I had the height and body to be a rugby player. He called me to the trials of the school rugby team and I went there. Luckily I was selected to be one of the players of the school rugby team.
“We played in the Lions High School’s Rugby Association League (LHSRA) U13 division. During that season we became champs of the LHSRA U13 division league and qualified for the Northvaal School Championships and we lost the final match in the championships. I began to fall in love with the sport after we lost the final,” said Monegeng.
He said he continued playing rugby in 2019, playing for the U14 school rugby team.
“We continued to dominate the LHSRA as the U14 team and went on to the Northvaal School championships and won it, unlike the previous year. Our coach was proud because it was also his first time winning the championships.
“The 2020 school rugby season and other seasons were cancelled due to Covid-19 and the school rugby season resumed in 2022. During that year we had to all, as rugby players, go for trials, and I made it into the U17 school rugby team. During the course of that season I was dropped to play in the U17 school rugby second team because I was not playing at my ultimate best. I became a vice-captain in second team,” he explained.
He added that he started putting in extra-work by going to the gym in order to improve his performance.
“We won everything as the U17 school rugby team; our coach was instrumental because he was very motivational. During the 2023 season I returned to the first team. As I played for the first team we went to the trials of the Lions Rugby Club (LRC) and I was selected to be part of the U18 LRC.
“As the LRC we beat Blue Bulls in the league. At the time I was also playing at school in the LHSRA and when we faced Roodepoort, I broke my left hand’s middle finger. After a few weeks of the injury I forced myself to go back to play and my finger was not fully healed,” he said.
Monegeng mentioned that his LRC coach noticed that he has not fully recovered.
“He told me that he will enquire from the rugby association if I can play with the injury, unfortunately the association told my coach that I can’t play. I felt shattered because my dream was disappearing in front of my eyes. I went to play for Alberton Rugby Club (ARB), and I thought I would get another opportunity to play for LRC. To my disappointment, at ARB there are requirements you need to meet in order for you to go for the trials at the LRC.
“I didn’t meet those requirements because of the injury, then I went to Wasps Rugby Club (WRC). There I managed to go to the trials of LRC, but my finger continued to give me problems so I couldn’t play at my best level at the trials,” Monegeng explained.
He said he was not selected for LRC.
“I have not given up my dream of playing for LRC I still play school rugby and club level rugby for WRC currently.
My main goal now is to play as an eighth man as my school coach advised. I have suffered more severe injuries, but I won’t give-up on my dream to play for LRC. My other plan is to increase my speed so I can be a flanker as well,” he concluded.
