Captain's profile: Kelvin January
Not only does January excel in 15-man rugby, the hooker is also a brilliant Sevens player – having been part of the 2015 Western Cape Sevens team. While in 2016, the young man's focus shifted to his school career and is now playing in his second year for the first XV.
Being named captain is something he takes an immense amount of pride in.
"Being named captain of New Orleans is truly a massive honour and I thank the boys and coaches for the trust they put in me. To lead the side is really a highlight of my rugby career, there is truly a special bond we share as a team.
"As captain, I always strive to lead by example, and it is not how good you are but how bad you want it," January said.
The 2015 edition of the Classic Clash ended in a 10-all draw, so the skipper realises that they face an uphill battle in their pursuit of a historic victory. With a fairly average season behind them and a full strength team, New Orleans head into this match with a minuscule advantage.
"We started the year off slow with lots of injuries but have managed to pick up the odd victory. Results show that we have had a quite pleasing season and that we are still improving game after game. Luckily for us, we are fielding our full strength team on Saturday.
"However, we need to keep in mind that the derby is a different ball game and one can never predict what is going to happen. The last few years have really dished up some great matches and it has really been very close. Last year was only the second time in all the years that the match ended in a draw.
"It's not going to be easy and I am expecting them to come hard at us. They will be up for the game and want to take it with everything they got," he added.
When it comes to the Paarl Derby, home-ground counts for little and the Grade 11 pupil encouraged his side, as hosts, to embrace the occasion and believe in their talents.
"We should just go out there, enjoy ourselves, know that I believe in them and that they should believe in themselves," he stated.
