Alistair Hargreaves - FNB Star of the Week
Player profile
We profile Alistair Hargreaves, captain of Durban High School and of KwaZulu Natal Schools. an outstanding lock forward, who has also captained South Africa Under-19.
Alistair Hargreaves had a choice between rugby and cricket. Mercifully for rugby, he chose rugby.
Alistair John Hargreaves was born in Durban on 29 April 1986 into a sporting family. His father hurdled for Natal and his three uncles are keen on sport. This means that the only son – he has two sisters to spoil him – has great family support.
At Durban Preparatory High School he played every bit of sport he could, but hen he got to High School he decided to concentrate on rugby and cricket. An all-rounder – quick bowler and No.4 batsman – he played for Natal at Under-13, Under-15 and Under-17 levels when rugby became more and more demanding, which required a choice. And the lot fell upon rugby but only eventually.
Dave Magner, the acting headmaster of DHS, remembers that Alistair came up from the Prep as a cricketer who played a bit of rugby. The lot started to fall on rugby when he was 16.
In St 8 (Grade 10) the lot started to look the right one. That year he played for the DHS first team and for the KwaZulu Natal Academy side and for an east Coast XV. The next year he was in the KwaZulu Natal Schools side at the Wellington Craven Week and was taken up into SARFU's green squad. By now he was taking part in camps for the 2004 Under-19 World Championship due to take place in Durban in April.
At the Under-19 World Championship he captained South Africa against Italy.
That's not surprising as he clearly has leadership. He is the head prefect at DHS, the captain of the 1st XV and the captain of KwaZulu Natal Schools.
He enjoys being a captain.
His school side are having a wobbly season. He was missing early on because of the championship and then injury. Excellent wing Conrad Stoltz and flyhalf Conrad Stoltz were severe blows, and the team's confidence has suffered.
His own play is startling at times. He can do all that a lock needs to do and at the same time has the soul of a loose-forward – an action man with the ball skills one would expect from a cricketer. He is really fast around the field, leaps in the line-out, shoves in scrums, tackles and behaves like a back with the ball in hand. and he does not miss a fraction of a moment of what is happening on the field.
Dave Magner says of him: "Alistair is a fine young man with excellent leadership. He is on the way to becoming a complete rugby player.
"There was a time when some people complained that he lacked bulk but watch him play and you will see that bulk is not an issue – not the way he hits the rucks and takes the ball up.
"He has the advantage of being intelligent – an A student, who is an intelligent player. That means he can add anticipation to his athleticism.
"Add to that his commitment and complete focus.
"I believe that he will go a long way in rugby."
The future? Alistair Hargreaves is contracted to the Sharks for the next two years and intends to study on.
At the moment it is exciting to be a young rugby player and the top boy at DHS.
