Meet UJ’s new boytjies captain

AUCKLAND PARK – “The most disappointing moment of my rugby career was me not making the provincial rugby team in high school,” said Johannes Snyman.

Snyman has bounced back from this in tremendous fashion. The 23-year-old went on to become a UJ commerce student and athlete when he was offered a sports bursary after being scouted as a high school rugby player. He has since gone on to become the university’s first team rugby hooker and more impressively, as of this year, its captain.

When asked what his secret is to keeping his body physically prepared and mind focused on his responsibilities, he said that it’s all about enjoyment and balance. “If you enjoy it, you’ll never feel tired or hate what you’re doing; you have to have a balanced life. It’s not just rugby and training.”

He added that his studies help him to keep his mind straight. Following his mother’s diagnosis of cancer, he realised the value and importance of living life. He said, “You don’t know when you’re going and, therefore, one needs to live to the fullest.”

In his fourth consecutive Varsity Cup season and first season as captain, Snyman’s biggest success and challenges are the role and responsibilities that accompany the captain’s armband. “Captaining a new and young team comes with many challenges,” he went on to say.

The next challenge he and his team face is trying to break a two-match losing streak. His team face the Central University of Technology on 20 February at home to get their first win of the season.

When asked how they plan on rectifying their results, he said they do not dwell on the past too much. ‘Thinking Forward, Believe Forward’ is the team’s motto.

His team is focused on what is in front of them and that they need to come together as a team in order to achieve their goals.

He went on to say that he and his team need to prove themselves to their supporters and the people who believe in them.

His one statement to his team is that they need to ask themselves why they are doing what they do and that the answer to that question has to be strong enough to motivate them to break their current form.

Snyman asserted that UJ has prolific support. “UJ has awesome fans and the team won’t let them down.”

As the fans have given the team their all, the team will do the same and he thanks them for their support.

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