Dreams don’t announce themselves with fanfare, they’re forged in quiet moments of sacrifice, nurtured by loved ones, and realised when opportunity meets preparation. For Jadrian Afrikaner, the Westville 1st XV flyer and SA Schools wing, that dream has just crystallised into reality. He’s put pen to paper with The Sharks junior setup, with his journey set to begin in 2027.
The black and white jersey has always been the endgame for Afrikaner. It’s precisely why the electric winger made the bold move to Westville during his u.16 year, leaving behind the familiar comforts of the West Coast for KwaZulu-Natal.
West Coast roots but Sharks ambitions
The small coastal town of Velddrif on the West Coast has produced a gem in Afrikaner. From those humble beginnings, he’s always harboured two burning ambitions: to pull on the black and white of The Sharks, and ultimately, the green and gold of the Springboks.
But behind every dream chaser stands someone who believed first. For Afrikaner, that person was his grandmother.
“My biggest inspiration is my grandmother. She has supported me, since I was u.7, I play for her, she passed away a few years ago because of Covid,” Afrikaner said.
It’s a sobering reminder that even as young athletes chase glory, they carry the weight of loved ones’ dreams on their shoulders. Afrikaner carries his grandmother’s memory onto every field, in every tackle, through every line break.
The Barends blueprint
Afrikaner’s high school career began at Hoërskool Velddrif, where he made the Boland u.15 Iqhawe week team under the tutelage of Alfredo Barends. That coach-player relationship would prove pivotal in shaping the youngster’s trajectory.
“Coach Barends played a big role in my development. He is the one that drove me to the Iqhawe week trials and helped me. We still have contact. When I signed for The Sharks I contacted him, he is coaching in Japan now, he became quite emotional,” he said.
That Iqhawe week performance turned heads. Suddenly, the Velddrif speedster had suitors queuing up. But Afrikaner’s compass pointed in only one direction: Durban. Westville represented the pathway to The Sharks, and he wasn’t about to let geography derail his destiny.
Culture shock and character building
The transition from small-town West Coast life to Westville wasn’t seamless. Language barriers loomed large for a young man who could barely string together an English sentence.
“My parents supported my decision, but it was a big challenge initially. I could barely speak English, but I adapted, my parents told me, don’t be afraid of a challenge, grab it with both hands. Now I enjoy the school, and my English has gotten much better,” he laughs.
That parental wisdom, grab challenges with both hands, has become Afrikaner’s mantra. It’s evident in his demeanour, the way he punctuates every sentence with “sir,” the quiet humility that masks an absolute killer on the rugby field.
Two way terror
Watch Afrikaner in Westville blue and you’ll witness a complete player. He’s equally devastating on both sides of the ball, a rare commodity in modern schoolboy rugby where specialists often excel in one area at the expense of another.
His defensive nous makes him invaluable at outside centre for Westville, where he shuts down channels and delivers bone-rattling hits. But it’s on attack where he truly terrifies opposition defences, pace married to vision, the ability to read the game two steps ahead of everyone else.
“Mr. Erasmus was my coach when I started at Westville in u.16, we have come a long way together. He is always honest in his assessments to help you get better. He has helped me a lot with the defence. On attack I try and do my own thing, I read the game and try and be two steps ahead, my teammates around me, make it easier,” he points out.
Bulls vs Sharks: The family divide
In a delicious twist of sporting fate, Afrikaner’s parents are staunch Blue Bulls supporters. The phone call home after signing with The Sharks must have been entertaining.
“Every weekend I have to hear how the Bulls are the greatest team. I told my dad that one day I will beat the Bulls,” he laughs.
His mother has pledged her allegiance will shift to The Sharks when her son runs out at Kings Park. Dad, however, remains unmoved, a Bull through and through. The family WhatsApp group during local derbies should be box office entertainment.
Afrikaner’s chance will come to silence the northern bravado. For now, he dreams in black and white.
“I am so excited, I just want to get onto the field in that black and white jersey,” Afrikaner exclaimed.
But before that, there’s unfinished business at Westville. Afrikaner wants to do well in Matric and leave a legacy that transcends tries scored and tackles made.
“I want to be a positive example to the Grade 8s in the school. They must give their best on the field and in the classroom. In my last year I want to make memories with my teammates,” he said.
It’s that perspective, the understanding that excellence demands commitment across all areas, that suggests Afrikaner possesses the character to match his considerable talent.
The Sharks have secured a special talent. But more importantly, they’ve signed a special person. Watch this space, the kid from the West Coast is just getting started.
