De Kock sees his future in Europe
FORMER RBSI Guernsey Academy player and Old Elizabethan Daniel de Kock is eyeing a move into UK or European professional rugby after impressing in his native South Africa.
De Kock, 22, left for South Africa three years ago after representing Leicester U20s and he has been playing for Maties since then.
Linked intrinsically to Stellenbosch University, not only are Maties the top premiership club and champions in South Africa, but with 53 teams and more than a thousand players on their books, are said to be the biggest rugby club in the world.
In his Guernsey Academy days, de Kock played as a hooker, but having slimmed down these days he lines up as a flanker and has impressed, making it through to the final trials day of the Springbok Sevens team.
De Kock, who after a month in Guernsey returned to South Africa yesterday for pre-season training, has been keeping a watchful eye on Raiders’ progress during his stay on island these past few weeks, and has been impressed.
He is preparing himself for a move back to Europe in September to take up a professional contract either in England or France.
But in recent times it is with Maties, which takes its name from the Afrikaan word tomaties, which means tomatoes, that he has been making a name for himself.
Naturally, they play in red.
‘They are a very historic club in South Africa and they have produced the largest number of Springboks. It’s been a great few years and I still get chills every time I put on the shirt,’ he said while watching the Guernsey Ladies prepare for their latest game.
‘I finish studying at the end of this year and the aim is to go and look for clubs in either the French or English league, or anywhere in Europe. I think that’s where my future lies.’
His assessment of Maties 1st XV rugby is that of English Championship standard.
‘We’ve had a few players, like Robert du Preez, play for the Barbarians recently, and a lot of the Stormers players get pulled up from our team. So we have a few guys now playing for them and Western Province.’
As for his own game, he is thriving as a flanker but says he still needs to get heavier.
‘My biggest problem [previously] was size and weight and it was difficult for me to put on the right weight and it’s taken time. and with my age
'I’m now up to 96.5 and I want to get up to 100 by the end of this year. My issue as a junior player was I was too light.’
What does he think of Raiders' progress?
‘They are very impressive and look to be very on form. I think they will be heading into National Two.’
