KURT-LEE ARENDSE

UWC SUPERSTARS KURT-LEE ARENDSE BY LONWABO MARELE

My first impression of KurtLee Arendse was that he was way too skinny to be a rugby player. Yet, when I saw him outrun his opponents while playing for UWC, I knew that here was a player that meant business.

The Paarl native, who weighs in at over 76 kilograms, is definitely no shot-in-the-dark. His highlights at the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series alone is astounding.

Hailed by SA Sevens highperformance manager Marius Schoeman as a surefire to have on his squad, whether he starts or comes off the bench, Arendse is the Gio Aplon of the current generation of rugby players.

Arendse said he started his rugby journey at the age of nine years old, at Paulus Joubert Primary. He then joined the

same high school and made the Boland Cavaliers Academy team in Grade 12.

“I was actually happy because it was my first time making the provincial team and it was nice because it was my final year,” he says.

He joined UWC fresh from the Boland Cavaliers under-18 setup, helping the University bag the 2017 Varsity Shield trophy. Prior to winning the cup, the team had struggled against Fort Hare University. However, during the last day of the season, it was Arendse’s FNB Back Player of The Tournament award-winning performance that helped his side be crowned champs in addition to getting promoted to the Varsity Cup. From then on, Arendse was in the hearts of UWC rugby fans.

“When I joined UWC from Boland, I had not met coach Chester Williams yet so I asked one of the guys if they could ask him if I could join them at training and he said yes. I received a bursary to study at UWC and did a bridging course in economic development before starting my Bachelor of Arts (BA) in 2018. But I eventually left my studies to become a full-on athlete.”

In 2019, he stole even more hearts — this time during the first-ever Varsity Cup meet and the derby between Udubs and the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Ikeys. When Arendse stepped onto the Green Mile and outran his opponents, he performed so well that Schoeman and SA national head coach Neil Powell could not turn a blind eye. They needed the UWC student on their team.

“It was quite an amazing feeling (to play in the first Cape Town Varsity Cup derby). In 2017 and 2018, Coach Chester said his goal was to win the Varsity Shield so we could get promoted to the Varsity Cup. With the bunch of okes we had, it was something special to achieve.

“So far it’s been an amazing system (representing the SA Sevens) with a great bunch of guys. I got the call-up while I played for Sunrise in Kenya. It has been an exciting journey,” adds Arendse.

Since joining the national team, he has helped them earn more than a couple of medals, including gold in Vancouver and Singapore late last year. Around his teammates, Arendse receives and gives respect, says Schoeman. His quiet and well-spoken nature has also earned him the respect of his fellow players.

“Of all the players, he is probably one of the ones who has progressed the most. He’s definitely a player who just needed to be in a professional environment like ours,” adds Schoeman. “He’s got massive potential. You could see it when he was still playing at UWC. If you take his reserved personality into account, he just needed the setup where he has the opportunity to express himself and his potential, especially his attack.”

The coach also commends Arendse’s progress from an academy to a starting line-up player. “He just needs to find his feet whether Neil [Powell] wants to play him at 10 or 12, although I personally believe he’s better at 12.

“Kurt is one of those players who you definitely want in your squad, whether he is starting or coming off the bench because he is able to play in multiple positions, including 10, 12, 14 and even as a defender.”