Aphiwe Dyantyi enjoys a dream season in the 2017 Varsity Cup
AUCKLAND PARK - UJ centre, Aphiwe Dyantyi has been named in the starting line-up of the Varsity Cup Dream Team that will do battle against the Junior Boks in an exhibition match in Stellenbosch on 25 April.
University of Johannesburg (UJ) centre, Aphiwe Dyantyi, enjoyed a dream season in the 2017 Varsity Cup despite his team crashing out in the semi-final to eventual final losers, Maties.
However, following his inclusion in the starting line-up of the Varsity Cup Dream Team that will face the Junior Springboks, Dyantyi has found renewed cause for celebration. The winger’s inclusion comes on the back of his stellar performances this season, during which time he made a successful transition from wing to inside centre.
The 23-man Dream Team squad was announced shortly after the final between Tuks and Maties at the Tuks Stadium. Reflecting on his move to centre, the 22-year-old BCom marketing student said, “For many, this change was a bit of a shock but I’d been in discussion with the coaches and we’d been preparing for the role,” he said. “I was comfortable trying out for centre and it was a decision that has really yielded good results for everyone.”
In October last year, Dyantyi signed with the Lions but sustained an injury a month later, resulting in little game time. “My motivation this Varsity Cup season was to play the best I could for UJ, but I also wanted to create other opportunities for myself outside of that,” he professed. “The tournament has been a perfect platform for me to show the coaches at the Lions what I’m capable of.”
Ahead of the semi-finals, Dyantyi had made 74 ball carries, 19 off-loads, 10 line breaks and beaten 26 defenders, more than any other player during the season. And although his team endured a rocky start to their campaign – losing their two opening encounters – a narrow 18–17 victory over Tuks at the UJ Stadium on 20 March proved to be the turning point according to Dyantyi.
“My standout occasion of the season was the game against Tuks,” he admitted. “We were coming back from two losses to play a team that had been unbeaten and it was during this game that we really managed to turn our season around.”
Along with Dyantyi, UJ have three other players on the team sheet for the exhibition match against the Junior Springboks in Stellenbosch on 25 April. They are Nico du Plessis, Johannes Snyman and Dillon Bakos.
Details: Kick-off at the Danie Craven Stadium is 7pm.
Read: UJ vie for finals in 2017 Varsity Cup
