SP Wessels

Stephanus Petrus Wessels (born 9 November 1992) is a South African rugby union player, who last played with the Boland Cavaliers.^[1] He plays as a loosehead prop.

Rugby career

2009 : Schoolboy rugby

Wessels was born in Paarl. He attended Jan Kriel School in Kuils River, a school for Learners with Special Educational Needs (LSEN), from where he was selected in a South African LSEN team that competed at the 2009 Under-18 Craven Week tournament held in East London.^[2] He started all three of their matches and scored a try in their match against Boland.^[3]

2011 : Western Province

In 2011, Wessels made four appearances for the Western Province U19 team in the Under-19 Provincial Championship. He started one of those – as a tighthead prop in a 9–all draw against the Sharks U19s^[4] – and three appearances as a replacement.

2012 : Griquas

He moved to Kimberley for the 2012 season. He started all seven matches for the Griquas U21 team in Division B of the Under-21 Provincial Championship, helping them finish in fourth position^[5] to reach the semi-finals, where they were beaten 5–67 by Eastern Province U21.^[6]

2013–present : Boland Cavaliers

Wessels moved back to the Western Cape for the 2013, joining the Wellington-based Boland Cavaliers. He made seven starts for the Boland U21 team in the 2013 Under-21 Provincial Championship regular season, scoring two tries in their final match against Griffons U21^[7] to finish second on the log and secure a play-off spot.^[8] Wessels started their 25–22 victory over Limpopo Blue Bulls U19 in the semi-final,^[9] as well as the final against Eastern Province U21, which the side from Port Elizabeth won 59–19.^[10]

At the start of 2014, Wessels took part in the national amateur club rugby competition, the Community Cup, for Roses United. He helped them finish top of Pool C,^[11] and eventual sixth place in the competition after losing to Despatch in the Bowl Final.^[12] He made his first class debut in April 2014, coming on as a replacement for Boland Cavaliers in their 21–28 defeat to the Eastern Province Kings in the 2014 Vodacom Cup,^[13] making a further appearance in a 41–17 victory over the Border Bulldogs in Piketberg a fortnight later.^[14]

He returned to Vodacom Cup action in 2015, making six appearances in the competition. After four appearances off the bench, he made his first senior start against the Eastern Province Kings in Citrusdal,^[15] followed by a second start a week later against the Border Bulldogs.^[16] He was then named in their Currie Cup qualification squad, starting all six of their matches as his team finished in fourth position, unable to clinch a place in the Currie Cup Premier Division.^[17] He made three starts for them in the First Division, but five consecutive defeats condemned the team to fifth place, missing out on the play-offs.^[18]

Wessels made six starts for the Boland Cavaliers during the 2016 Currie Cup qualification competition. It proved to be a successful campaign under new head coach Brent Janse van Rensburg, with Boland finishing in third position in the competition^[19] to qualify for the Premier Division for the first time since 2009. He made his debut at that level in their opening match of the season, a 16–44 defeat to the Free State Cheetahs in Wellington,^[20] eventually making seven appearances to help his side to seventh place in the competition.^[21]

References