Matthew van Zyl - captain of KES
Captain profile
We profile Matthew van Zyl, KES's captain and outstanding forward.
King Edward VII School, popularly known as KES, is preparing to play its greatest rugby rivals, Jeppe High School for Boys at Jeppe on Saturday, as they have been doing since 1931. Matthew van Zyl has never seen his first team lose this match, and he approaches Saturday with confidence and enthusiasm.
"I'm looking forward to it," he said.
Matthew Craig van Zyl was born in Johannesburg on 9 March 1986 and has been playing rugby since Std 5, now called Grade 7. He has been chosen for representative teams – SA Under-15, the Golden Lions Under-16 and again for the Under-18.
Off he went to Craven Week at Nelspruit, which he enjoyed even in a Golden Lions' side that had little luck. They drew with Eastern Province, lost in foul weather to Western Province and just beat South Western Districts. They had no easy opponents.
Matthew van Zyl is playing his third season in the KES 1st XV, He went to Craven Week as a lock and has now shifted to eighthman, making the forward component of the KES side, its strength, even stronger.
Although KES are been having an indifferent season, the pride and passion still remain. Some may consider KES underdogs against Jeppe, but not Matthew van Zyl who expects another KES victory over Jeppe.
