Captain's profile: Ryno Visagie

 

The 1.78m, 105kg hooker has been part of his school's first team for two years now and has plenty of experience in this fixture, which was echoed in his message to his team this week.

 

"I don't want them to get carried away by the hype around the game because it is a 'Classic Clash'. I want them to stay calm and face the game just like any other game," said Visagie.

 

The 18-year-old also knows the responsibility of being captain in a big clash like this and feels that he is up to the task.

 

"It is a big honour for me as a player [on being named captain]. I aim to lead the team by example and to motivate my players and to keep them positive on and off the field," he said.

 

Visagie said the highlight of his career so far was being named captain of his team for two years in a row as well as playing Craven Week rugby in 2014 for his province.

 

The burly forward is aware of what awaits him and his side against a tough Gimmies team on the weekend.

 

"They are always physical up front with plenty of speed at the back. We played against them three times last year [2014], winning two out of three.

 

"We have a young group with a few experienced players while we are also missing some first-choice players," he added.

 

Visagie hopes to fulfil his childhood dream of becoming a Springbok one day.