A young man from Worcester who has dedicated his whole life to the game of rugby has been granted the opportunity to lead one of the biggest campaigns of university sports.
Adriaan van der Bank, affectionately known as “Bankies jnr”, will lead the Stellenbosch University rugby team in this year’s Varsity Cup tournament, a breeding ground that has seen many aspiring rugby players get exposure to bigger teams.
With just three years of experience in the team and competition, Van der Bank says the announcement was a massive honour.
“It felt like all the hours of training finally paid off,” he said. “I am grateful for the opportunity. Maties is such a big club and university so it could have been anyone. Also, I know that the hard work actually starts now, and I know we as a team have a big task ahead.”
The season will kick off on 14 February and the fly-half shared that he is looking forward to the year.
Bankies jnr, the son of acclaimed player and coach Marius van der Bank, has been exposed to the game since he was only two years old.
“I started playing between the ages of two and three in the backyard with my family, but played my first game only at age seven.”
His father, who has been coaching rugby all his life, is the first point of reference for the young man’s passion for the sport.
“He would take me to training sessions, and on weekends my mother and I would go watch games, which had a massive impact on my childhood.
“We lived at the Worcester Gymnasium hostel since I was six years old, so I was the irritating young kid who played with the high school boys,” Bankies told Standard.
Years later he started at the very same school he had spent much of his life running around at, eventually going on to captain the u-19 A team that beat Drostdy High School in the classic clashes.
“That is still one of my fondest memories,” Bankies says, referring to the 2016 Classic Clashes match.
Apart from the accolades received at his high school, he achieved Boland colours at u-12, 13, 16 and 18, and jogged out in the blue and white for Western Province in the u-19 tournament.
Obstacles are part of the journey of becoming the best one can possibly be. Bankies says his family and friends, who have unwavering faith in his abilities, are a driving force behind his determination and willingness to excel.
The Worcestarian hopes to end the year by sealing an overseas contract.