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Is this guy in the 30 or EPS?
Strand resident and former Western Province player, Dillyn Leyds (21), left for Australia on Tuesday after being offered a contract with the Australian Super Rugby franchise, the Western Force.
Dillyn played fullback for the Baby Boks (SA u.20 team) in 2011. They won the Junior World Championship after beating the All Blacks in the final.
He currently plays for the WP u.21 team - the current log leaders - and Dillyn also featured in the WP Vodacom cup team this season.
His parents, Erica and Gershwin, are naturally extremely proud of their son’s achievement, saying that they will support him in his career.
“I know that WP wanted to keep him, but this is an opportunity of a lifetime which he worked hard for,” said Erica.
Dillyn’s rugby talent stems from his dad and his grandfather, the late Hubert Stewart, who played flyhalf for the Somerset West Rugby Council.
In previous years, Gershwin also captained the Strand Rugby Club.
Dillyn started his primary schooling at Hendrik Louw Primary in Strand in 1999, where he played with current WP and Stormers prop Steven Kittshof.
He was later awarded a bursary by Western Province Preparatory School in Claremont, where he played rugby and cricket and captained the rugby teams in all age groups.
“We only saw each other over weekends,” recalls Erica. “When he missed us too much he would visit us and spend the whole weekend just with us.”
In 2005 Dillyn attended Bishops College in Rondebosch, where he was later selected to the WP u.18 Academy team. He was called up to the WP u.18 Craven Week team that same year as a replacement.
In 2011 he attended the WP Rugby Academy in Stellenbosch and was a regular member of the WP u.19 Currie Cup team.
In 2012, which was a big year for him, he was selected for the UCT Varsity Cup team. His great form earned him the title of 2012 Varsity Cup Rookie of the year and also resulted in his being called to the Junior Springboks preliminary squad for the Junior World Cup held in SA in the same year.
“Somebody saw his talent,” says Gershwin about his son’s latest achievement.
“He accepted this challenge - which shows that he is determined to work hard at his career,” Gershwin adds.