Rynhard Swart – Affies Captain

Thu, 08 May 2008 10:32

Afrikaans Seuns Hoërskool (Affies) is one of South Africa’s foremost rugby schools. Over the years, but more regularly of late, they have it has been the breeding ground for some of South Africa’s top Springboks. Rynhard Swart, captain of the 2008 Affies 1st XV, is a born and bred Pretoria boytjie, who takes great pride in leading out his hometown’s premier rugby school.

Rynhard, who doesn’t come from a particularly sporting family, attended a local Pretoria primary school before graduating to Affies in Grade 8. The lure of playing top rugby as well as the fact that many of his primary school friends were going to Affies saw him join the ranks of the 1208 Affies boys. Rynhard, who has already turned eighteen, has excelled at Affies as apart from captaining the 1st XV he is a school prefect.

Rynhard captained the Bulls Under-16 team at the 2006 Grant Khomo Week, an experience that he enjoyed despite the fact that the team didn’t perform too well. He was injured at the beginning of last season and made his way back to rugby via the 3rd XV. After making it up to the 2nds he played the last three games of the 2007 season for the 1st XV.

Having always played loose forward, predominantly No.8, Rynhard moved to openside only last week at the Paarl Gimnasium Festival.

Rynhard says that he really enjoyed the Paarl Gimnasium Festival despite the fact that they didn’t play very well in the first game and were soundly beaten by the hosts. That was their first and only defeat of the season in nine games thus far, having drawn their first two games of the season. Rynhard believes though that their win over Paarl Boishaai in the final game in Paarl was their best performance so far this season and may just be a turning point for them. Rynhard feels his team have the potential to be one of the best in recent Affies history but that they have only been playing at about 60% of their potential up until now.

Rynhard was voted the best forward at the festival. No mean feat considering the heavyweight rugby schools in attendance. This lead Western Province to offer him a bursary at their Rugby Institute for next year, one that Rynhard is seriously considering taking up. Having had a taste of the intensity of club rugby in the Western Cape when he turned out for Ceres Rugby Club while on holiday in the Bokkeveld last year he is eager for more.

In the meantime Rynhard hopes to make the Bulls Craven Week team but faces stiff competition, having entered the trials as a fetcher. Affies beat Zwartkops 57-8 in what was the first round of Bulls Craven Week trials this week. So it is still along road ahead before the final team is selected. 

Jan Grabie and Feb du Toit coach the Affies 1st XV. Grabie says he has been very impressed with Rynhard’s ability to adapt quickly to the requirements of flank play. Grabie quotes the strengths of Rynhard’s play as his ability to protect the ball in contact as well as his ability to steal opposition ball, while Rynhard also rates himself as a more than able ball-carrier. Rynhard models his play on ex-Lions and current Castres (France) flank Gerhard Vosloo. Vosloo is a personal friend of Rynhard’s who happens also to be a tremendous fetcher and is excelling in France.

As ever Affies have a good all-round team this year but Rynhard did single out lock Andries Ferriera as a key player. Ferriera played for the Bulls Craven Week team last year and according to Rynhard must be one of the biggest schoolboy players in South Africa this year. A good front-jumper Andries is a powerful ball-carrier and fearless defender.

Affies have three big games coming up in the next couple of weeks. In two weeks time they host Grey College, followed by Maritzburg College and then the local derby against Pretoria Boys High.

The one game Rynhard would really like to see on the fixture list though is a chance to avenge the defeat against Paarl Gim, who he reckons they would beat if they played them again. Although that dream might not happen there can be no doubt that many of Rynhard’s rugby dreams will come to fruition in the year’s to come.