A remarkable journey has taken another twist with the former Vikings player entrusted with the captaincy of the Eastern Free State side for their opening match of the campaign against the Griffons Elande on Saturday.
For de Kock and his family the moment carried particular significance.
They moved to Guernsey in 2004, where he continued to develop his rugby and represented the Vikings while working locally.
His rugby journey had already taken him through some impressive environments.
He played for Western Province U19, Leicester U20s and Maties at Stellenbosch University, gaining experience in highly competitive rugby systems in both South Africa and the UK.
But when de Kock returned to South Africa in December 2024 to pursue his professional career, his rugby future was far from certain.
In fact, he almost walked away from the game altogether.
That changed when he was invited to represent Frankfort Rugby Club in the Free State Premier League. His performances there led to an invitation to attend the Eastern Free State provincial trials, an opportunity that ultimately opened the door to senior provincial rugby.
In a country with an extraordinary depth of talent with thousands of players competing for opportunities at every level, breaking into provincial rugby is a tough task and being chosen to lead a side is an even greater vote of confidence, making de Kock’s achievement all the more impressive.
With the foundations of his achievement having been laid in the island, it is also something to be celebrated by the Guernsey rugby community.
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