A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN…

Is how Sikhumbuzo Notshe views his liaison with the Cell C Sharks. Sidelined for almost a year due to a serious knee injury, the six-test Springbok loose forward is swiftly regaining the fabulous form that rendered him one of the Cell C Sharks’ stars during the tabletopping 2020 Super Rugby campaign, which unfortunately had to be aborted due to Covid-19. Since arriving from the Stormers three seasons ago, Notshe has certainly rejuvenated his career at the Cell C Sharks…

For Sikhumbuzo Notshe, born 29 years ago at Keiskammahoek, a small rural village 40 km north of King William’s Town, rugby has been a family affair from the start.

“My father, brothers and cousins all played,” he recalls, “so as the youngest, I didn’t really have a choice, and instantly became passionate about it.”

His father, Mandlankosi David Notshe, played for Lagunya RFC in Cape Town, which served three different townships in Cape Town, namely Langa, Gugulethu and Nyanga.

“We watched him play every weekend,” Notshe recalls.

“We were never out in the streets, and that was good for me. I had a few mates who were up to no good at the time.

“Dad, however, never allowed us to just chill in the township. He wanted us kids to be active. “So, he took us with him to the club, and we travelled with the club to away games at venues like Paarl, Franschhoek and Stellenbosch.”

Notshe was educated at Wynberg Boys High School, where he was afforded the opportunity to measure himself against the best schools in the Cape.

“We played against all the big English schools, SACS, Rondebosch and Bishops, as well as Paul Roos, Paarl Gimnasium and Paarl Boys High.

“I enjoyed coming up against those opponents, to see whether you’re a quality player or not.” Notshe’s quality certainly came shining though, as he powered his way through all the various age-group ranks at Western Province and also gained SA Schools selection.

His big break, though, came when John Dobson (current Stormers coach) plucked him basically from his school desk to play Vodacom Cup rugby in 2013.

“I’d never even played Under-19,” he says, “and soon realised that school achievements mean nothing at senior level, when you come up against all those oldtimers.

“I can proudly say that I was bullied quite a bit during my first year of Vodacom Cup, and only later got the hang of it.

“Dobbo backed me throughout, though, and he was really good in terms of his manmanagement, and the environment that he created for players.”

The following year, Notshe cracked the Super Rugby domain and celebrated the occasion by scoring a try on debut against the Reds at Suncorp Stadium.

“I was busy relaxing with my brother at our digs in Cape Town on the Sunday morning when I received a call from Ria Malan, a lady that worked at WP,” he recalls.

“She told me that I had to shower and pack, as I had to join up with the Stormers in Brisbane. I figured it to be a prank call, and went back to bed.

“However, Ria called again, wanting to know how soon I could make it to Newlands, where she was busy sorting out my kit, as I had to fly out to Australia that night. That was when I realised Ria was for real.

“Receiving my kit from her was pretty special, but meeting up, after the marathon flight, with the likes of Jean de Villiers (captain), Schalk Burger and Siya Kolisi in the team hotel in Brisbane was simply mind-blowing.”

Notshe went from strength to strength, and four years later also made his Springbok debut, in South Africa’s narrow 20-22 defeat against Wales at RFK Stadium in Washington DC, USA.

“It was funny, actually, as I had been benched by the Stormers for nine weeks in a row, and I’d been pretty frustrated just getting 10 minutes here and 20 minutes there.

“Meanwhile, and unbeknown to me, Rassie (Erasmus) had kept a track on me and, to my surprise, started sharing and discussing video clips of my play with me.

“I was rather confused, and even more so when I was called up to alignment camps. I grew in confidence, though, knowing that I was being watched.

“Naturally, when I got the nod to play against Wales in Washington, I was over the moon.”

Coming off the bench, Sikhumbuzo Notshe became Springbok #900.

Less than two years later, and on the verge of gaining his 60th Stormers cap, Notshe decided to head up the coast and join forces with the Cell C Sharks

.

“During a Currie Cup game for WP, I bumped into Cell C Sharks’ coach Sean Everitt in the tunnel,” Notshe recalls.

“He asked whether I’d be interested in coming to Durban, and, being keen for a change at the time, I grabbed the opportunity.

“And, yeah, it was a match made in heaven.”

NTUTHUKO MCHUNU

PROP

BORN: 05/04/1999

HEIGHT: 1.88 m

WEIGHT: 114KG

DAN JOOSTE

HOOKER

BORN: 21/02/1998

HEIGHT: 1.87 m

WEIGHT: 105KG

CARLU SADIE

PROP

BORN: 07/05/1997

HEIGHT: 1.82 m

WEIGHT: 138KG

RENIEL HUGO

LOCK

BORN: 19/07/1995

HEIGHT: 1.97m

GERBRANDT GROBLER

LOCK

DYLAN RICHARDSON

WEIGHT: 111KG

VINCENT TSHITUKA

FLANK

BORN: 10/09.1998

HEIGHT: 1.95 m

WEIGHT: 107KG

CURWIN BOSCH

BORN: 25/06/1997

CELL C SHARKS VS ULSTER 16

HEIGHT: 1.81 m WEIGHT: 85KG

BORN: 06/02/1992

HEIGHT: 2.01 m

WEIGHT: 119KG

BORN: 15/01/1999

HEIGHT: 1.83 m

WEIGHT: 110KG

PHEPSI BUTHELEZI

EIGHTH MAN

BORN: 27/03/1992

HEIGHT: 1.92m WEIGHT: 107KG

GRANT WILLIAMS

SCRUM-HALF

BORN: 22/07/1996

HEIGHT: 1.4m

WEIGHT: 77KG

THAAKIR ABRAHAMS

FLANK FLYHALF

ROHAN JANSE VAN RENSBURG

WING CENTRE

BORN:10/01/2000

HEIGHT: 1.75 m

WEIGHT: 75KG

BORN: 11/09/1994

HEIGHT: 1.85 m

WEIGHT: 109KG