Despite the depressed state the Southern Kings already find themselves in before Super Rugby begins‚ many players in Port Elizabeth see the troubled franchise as the perfect trigger to ignite their careers.
One such promising youngster is Lukhanyo Am‚ the 22-year-old Sharks centre loaned out to the Kings to gain Super Rugby experience. Am was at Border last year before the Sharks stole him from right under the East London union’s nose.
The dynamically built inside centre — at 1.86m and 93kg of thick-cut beef — is poised for a breakthrough season if he shows the consistency and explosiveness similar to his boyhood heroes Gcobani Bobo and Jean de Villiers this season.
Although he has yet to wear the black and white of his parent franchise‚ Am believes good performances in Port Elizabeth will once more draw director of rugby Gary Gold’s attention.
“If I have a great season with the Kings‚ it might get me noticed a lot more in Durban‚ where I’m relatively unknown‚” said Am.
“If I establish myself at the Kings I’ll be a more rounded player by the time I return to the Sharks.
“That said‚ preparation at the Kings is great and so too is working with the Saru Mobi Unit.
“As a squad we are still in a learning phase but we are pushing hard to make sure that we are prepared for when the competition starts.
“The stats from the Mobi Unit guys are so valuable. As the backs‚ we worked with Louis on how to approach the game‚ even though his speciality is kicking. His sessions have been good‚ so too have been defence coach Jacques Nienaber’s.”
Am was a beneficiary of the SA Rugby Exchange Programme‚ which sent young players from previously disadvantaged areas to experience life and rugby in Britain in 2012. His posting at Saracens was a fairytale boost to the 22-year-old’s career.
It brought him into a dressing room that had World Cup players Schalk Brits‚ Brad Barritt‚ John Smit and Owen Farrell.
“For a guy who only had one under-19 season under his belt as a professional rugby player‚ it was a career-defining move‚” Am said.
“I had a decent under-19 season and at the end of that year I got alerted about the chance by Richard de Jager‚ who ran the programme.
“He basically told me there’s an opportunity to go overseas and asked me how I felt about it. I obviously jumped at it.”
Am hails from Hoerskool De Vos Malan — a school that’s long lived under the shadow of its more illustrious King William’s Town contemporary Dale College. But he has not been short of determination. While in London‚ he got a good glimpse of what it took to make it big.
“I chatted a lot with the South Africans that side like Neil de Kock‚ Schalk Brits‚ Alistair Hargreaves and Brad Barritt‚ the England centre‚” he said.
“Even John Smit was still there. I think at the time he might have had a season left in his playing career before he left.
“I was training with people that I considered superstars. I saw from them how important hard work was. Even though they had reached the highest levels of the game‚ they were still pushing themselves hard and putting in extra sessions.
“I grew as a player skills-wise and my overall game improved massively. It motivated me to reach for the top level and never to slip into a comfort zone once I get there.”
Am hopes Kings stint will show Sharks the player he can be
One such promising youngster is Lukhanyo Am‚ the 22-year-old Sharks centre loaned out to the Kings to gain Super Rugby experience. Am was at Border last year before the Sharks stole him from right under the East London union’s nose.
The dynamically built inside centre — at 1.86m and 93kg of thick-cut beef — is poised for a breakthrough season if he shows the consistency and explosiveness similar to his boyhood heroes Gcobani Bobo and Jean de Villiers this season.
Although he has yet to wear the black and white of his parent franchise‚ Am believes good performances in Port Elizabeth will once more draw director of rugby Gary Gold’s attention.
“If I have a great season with the Kings‚ it might get me noticed a lot more in Durban‚ where I’m relatively unknown‚” said Am.
“If I establish myself at the Kings I’ll be a more rounded player by the time I return to the Sharks.
“That said‚ preparation at the Kings is great and so too is working with the Saru Mobi Unit.
“As a squad we are still in a learning phase but we are pushing hard to make sure that we are prepared for when the competition starts.
“The stats from the Mobi Unit guys are so valuable. As the backs‚ we worked with Louis on how to approach the game‚ even though his speciality is kicking. His sessions have been good‚ so too have been defence coach Jacques Nienaber’s.”
Am was a beneficiary of the SA Rugby Exchange Programme‚ which sent young players from previously disadvantaged areas to experience life and rugby in Britain in 2012. His posting at Saracens was a fairytale boost to the 22-year-old’s career.
It brought him into a dressing room that had World Cup players Schalk Brits‚ Brad Barritt‚ John Smit and Owen Farrell.
“For a guy who only had one under-19 season under his belt as a professional rugby player‚ it was a career-defining move‚” Am said.
“I had a decent under-19 season and at the end of that year I got alerted about the chance by Richard de Jager‚ who ran the programme.
“He basically told me there’s an opportunity to go overseas and asked me how I felt about it. I obviously jumped at it.”
Am hails from Hoerskool De Vos Malan — a school that’s long lived under the shadow of its more illustrious King William’s Town contemporary Dale College. But he has not been short of determination. While in London‚ he got a good glimpse of what it took to make it big.
“I chatted a lot with the South Africans that side like Neil de Kock‚ Schalk Brits‚ Alistair Hargreaves and Brad Barritt‚ the England centre‚” he said.
“Even John Smit was still there. I think at the time he might have had a season left in his playing career before he left.
“I was training with people that I considered superstars. I saw from them how important hard work was. Even though they had reached the highest levels of the game‚ they were still pushing themselves hard and putting in extra sessions.
“I grew as a player skills-wise and my overall game improved massively. It motivated me to reach for the top level and never to slip into a comfort zone once I get there.”
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