How SA ‘A’ rookie Giliomee tunes out the noise amid rising hype
When Luan Giliomee made his dazzling URC debut for the Sharks against Munster in March, he burst onto the scene in style and convinced many that he could be a future Springbok.
The youngster, who was brought in to aid the Sharks’ injury crisis, was superb on the occasion, slotted into fullback seamlessly, and showed glimpses of his versatility, pace, and rugby IQ.
As expected, his performance got the rugby public talking.
Since then, he’s been dubbed one of South Africa’s ‘rising stars’ alongside the likes of Markus Muller and Zekhethelo Siyaya.
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Giliomee will play alongside both Muller and Siyaya on Saturday when the SA ‘A’ side takes on Zimbabwe at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha before the Boks tackle the Barbarians.
The 19-year-old, who carries expectations is well aware of the attention and hype that comes with being a Bok prospect but says he has found a way to block out the outside noise and remain focused on his own journey.
“For me, it’s just about focusing on my process and focusing on the things that I need to do to get better,” he said.
“The media and the outside noise are always going to be there, and it’s going to be there for the next star who is coming up.
“I just focus on myself and have the right system around me. Especially in this system [Springboks], I can ask for help from anybody, and the coaches and players are helpful.
“At the end of the day, I just try to shut out the noise.”
Giliomee, who hails from Ceres in the Western Cape and attended Charlie Hofmeyr, has already established himself in the South African rugby landscape.
After representing the SA Schools’ A side in 2024, he deputised for the Blitzboks a year later in Perth and earned two caps, scoring one try in the process.
He is a jack of all trades and can play various positions, a trait he hopes to bring to the park against Zimbabwe.
“I’ve played many positions; I’ve played nine [scrumhalf] for the Junior Boks against Ireland last year, as well as 10.
“I have some positions I can cover and bring the versatility in terms of when I’m on the bench or when I’m playing in the match.
“At the end of the day, I must focus on the role I’m given, like this weekend at 15.”
When asked about the role Sevens rugby played in his development, he said: “It developed my game in many aspects.
“In terms of stuff like being skilful, defence, tracking and things like that.
“It carries over so well in the 15s game, and I got the opportunity to be able to express those skills, and it’s helped me so much.”
Giliomee will feature in an exciting SA ‘A’ backline alongside several familiar faces on Saturday.
The youngster previously played with Siyaya, Muller and Yaqeen Ahmed in the SA Schools setup in 2024 before linking up with the Junior Springboks this year.
He believes those existing combinations could prove valuable.
“Connections help you a lot in the backline,” he added.
“Obviously, coming into the camp, you don’t always know the guy playing next to you, but in the last week and a half, it’s been good to build those connections.
“It helps to play with the guys that I do know and build those connections even further. I believe it’s going to be a thing we find as a strength on Saturday.”
