Cyster proves that size does not matter in rugby

Olebogeng Sebowa

On 20 February, Kyle Cyster made his debut as an FNB-Tuks player for Varsity Cup. Cyster appeared to be the shortest, yet one of the team’s greatest players. He is 1.73 metres tall and weighs 71 kilograms, which makes him one of the smallest players in the tournament. However, Cyster keeps showing us that whatever he lacks in stature he easily compensates for in skill. He proved this when he scored the first try for Tuks against Shimlas in their Varsity Cup opening game. This was his eighth Varsity Cup try in 11 games.

He is a Nelson Mandela University alumnus and played for the Madibaz last season. When asked how he got his fleet-footed dodging skills, Cyster said, “I used to be a naughty little ouk when I was younger. My mother had to bear the brunt of my misbehaviour. Her rage would frequently erupt, and she would chase after me. That’s how I honed my dodging skills.” Once he has the ball in his hand, Cyster is hard to stop and is always referred to as an “Yster” by commentators.

When asked about his rugby background, he said, “My friends and I used to play ‘touchies’ in the streets of the Strand, where I grew up, in the afternoons. I began playing rugby in Grade 8 at Hottentots-Holland High School. I was terrible at first. I was mostly on the B or C teams. Only in matric did I begin to make an impact on the field. I was named the school’s player of the year.” He began as a winger, but after becoming frustrated with not receiving enough ball time, he switched to fullback. Cyster and a few friends decided to visit Gqeberha in 2019 where he also played for Eastern Province’s under-20 team in addition to the Madibaz.

For Cyster, his father, Edward Gelant, had the most significant influence on his rugby career. “My father was a good player himself. He may have played a few scrumhalf games for Western Province. My father was a perfectionist when it came to rugby. You either did something right or wrong. This meant that he was constantly pushing me to improve. I will be eternally grateful for that.” He then added, “My father has passed away, but he remains my greatest inspiration. I still wonder what he would have said if he had seen me play. I’m playing to honour my father’s memory. I want him to be happy.”

Cyster claims that before joining Tuks, he was not the best defender. “The big guys would frequently flatten me. However, good defensive structures are highly-valued at Tuks. It compelled me to work on improving my tackling abilities. I’m no longer afraid to go for the tackle. Because I’m small, I have to start low.” According to Cyster, he came to Tuks to search for greener pastures and PDBY wishes him all the best in his future endeavours.