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KURT-LEE CREATES HISTORY
BY LYNDON JULIUS
FORMER UWC RUGBY PLAYER Kurt-Lee Arendse has made history by becoming the first Springbok in history to score a try in seven consecutive Tests. He joined UWC ahead of the 2017 season, when Chester Williams was preparing the team for the FNB Varsity Shield.
ARENDSE SAYS: “When I joined UWC from Boland, I had not met coach Chester 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 and did a bridging course in economic development before starting my Bachelor of Arts (BA) in 2018. I eventually left my studies to become a full-on athlete.”
HE PLAYED AN INTEGRAL PART in the 2017 and 2018 squads that took the 2018 title and secured the historic promotion to the FNB Varsity Cup. He scored 16 tries in 13 Varsity Shield matches. After playing at right wing in FNB UWC’s 2019 season opener against FNB Ikeys (his first and last Varsity Cup game), the South African Sevens Academy Manager, Marius Schoeman, included him in the Blitzboks squad.
ARENDSE SCORED ON DEBUT for the Blitzboks in their semi-final victory over Fiji at the HSBC Vancouver Sevens Series in Canada. He played in 41 tournaments for the Blitzboks, winning four titles and scoring 15 tries.
HE JOINED the Blue Bulls Rugby Union at the end of the 2019 season and won the Super Rugby Unlocked and Currie Cup with the Pretoria side, and a runner-up medal in the inaugural United Rugby Championship. During the 2021 season, he scored seven tries in 14 games for the Bulls.
SPRINGBOK HEAD COACH Jacques Nienaber then selected the talented speedster for the Bok squad’s second Test against Wales.
DURING THE 2022 RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP, an injury to Cheslin Kolbe allowed Arendse to be selected for the opening Test against New Zealand. Despite scoring his first Test try, he was red-carded for a dangerous tackle. After serving a four-match ban and returning to the squad for the final Rugby Championship match in Durban against Argentina, he scored his second Test try.
HE WENT ON TO SCORE in every match of the 2022 Autumn Nations Series against Ireland, France, Italy and England. The seventh try, against England,
“Playing at UWC helped me grow as a player,” Arendse says. “I enjoyed playing with all the UWC guys. The coaching and support staff were truly a great bunch of people. I am very grateful for the opportunity that UWC afforded me to develop and hone my skills and talent.”
