From Linden to the World Jean Kleyn flies our flag high
As the rugby player gets ready to represent the country at Rugby World Cup, the paper talks to those who saw his talents first.
From scrums on the Hoërskool Linden rugby field, to line-outs in Ireland-based Munster Rugby, to finally being a Springbok, Jean Kleyn is living the sports career his high school rugby coach always knew he’d achieve one day.
The Linden native being part of the national squad that will represent the country at the Rugby World Cup is something that will be remembered for years to come.
And, as he readies to give his best performance in France from September 8 to October 28, the paper spoke to his former coach, Francois Vosloo.
Currently a coach at Hoërskool Randburg, Vosloo described Kleyn as always having been bigger and stronger than his fellow teammates, “Even at the age of eight, he was head and shoulders above the rest.”
Some standout features of Kleyn, Vosloo spotted immediately was his tactical ability to clean out the ruck, which, in his opinion Kleyn still does well. This, coupled with his strong running was just some of the traits that made it quite clear to Vosloo that he would go far. “Though he never played Craven Week at school, afterwards, when he played for Maties and Western Province U19, I knew he was destined for bigger things.”
For current high school rugby players the coach hoped that from Kleyn they would be encouraged to continue to work hard and never give up on their dreams. He said many young players have ambitions of one day being a Springbok and as they grow up they become more realistic about their goals, deciding either to give their best or work much harder at achieving a goal. Vosloo thinks that key aspects that keep young players motivated are their role models and mentors who aid in making the game enjoyable for them. As a coach, he hopes he gives players the chance to enjoy themselves while giving them the freedom to express themselves and being readily available for them.
Recently, Hoërskool Linden’s own two Springboks, Thinus Delport and Kleyn shared a special moment at the Twickenham Stadium, after the Springboks’ win over the All Blacks. Delport made his debut for the Springboks in 2000 and shared this special moment with fellow Linden alum, Kleyn on his Instagram.
“As a school we are very proud of these two men who have gone out and made such an impact in the rugby world, working hard and showing that it can be done. It warms our hearts to see them together like this reminding us of how important and special the Linden-family bond is, even years later! We also wish Jean and the Springboks good luck as they are busy preparing for the World Cup which starts soon,” said Ané Groenewald, the school’s marketer.
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