A young man from Worcester who has dedicated his whole life to the game of rugby has been granted the opportunity to lead one of the biggest campaigns of university sports.<\/p>\n
Adriaan van der Bank, affectionately known as \u201cBankies jnr\u201d, will lead the Stellenbosch University rugby team in this year\u2019s Varsity Cup tournament, a breeding ground that has seen many aspiring rugby players get exposure to bigger teams.<\/p>\n
With just three years of experience in the team and competition, Van der Bank says the announcement was a massive honour.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt felt like all the hours of training finally paid off,\u201d he said. \u201cI am grateful for the opportunity. Maties is such a big club and university so it could have been anyone. Also, I know that the hard work actually starts now, and I know we as a team have a big task ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n
The season will kick off on 14 February and the fly-half shared that he is looking forward to the year.<\/p>\n
Bankies jnr, the son of acclaimed player and coach Marius van der Bank, has been exposed to the game since he was only two years old.<\/p>\n
\u201cI started playing between the ages of two and three in the backyard with my family, but played my first game only at age seven.\u201d<\/p>\n
His father, who has been coaching rugby all his life, is the first point of reference for the young man\u2019s passion for the sport.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe would take me to training sessions, and on weekends my mother and I would go watch games, which had a massive impact on my childhood.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe lived at the Worcester Gymnasium hostel since I was six years old, so I was the irritating young kid who played with the high school boys,\u201d Bankies told Standard<\/em>. <\/p>\n Years later he started at the very same school he had spent much of his life running around at, eventually going on to captain the u-19 A team that beat Drostdy High School in the classic clashes.<\/p>\n \u201cThat is still one of my fondest memories,\u201d Bankies says, referring to the 2016 Classic Clashes match.<\/p>\n Apart from the accolades received at his high school, he achieved Boland colours at u-12, 13, 16 and 18, and jogged out in the blue and white for Western Province in the u-19 tournament.<\/p>\n Obstacles are part of the journey of becoming the best one can possibly be. Bankies says his family and friends, who have unwavering faith in his abilities, are a driving force behind his determination and willingness to excel.<\/p>\n The Worcestarian hopes to end the year by sealing an overseas contract.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A young man from Worcester who has dedicated his whole life to the game of rugby has been granted the opportunity to lead one of the biggest campaigns of university 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