Moerat continues his family's legacy
The Moerat family's love for the sport has been well-documented over the years and this highly talented 18-year-old lock has added to the family's legacy of provincial and national representation.
The Paarl Boys' High captain had an immense amount of pressure on his shoulders when he led Western Province at the Under-18 Craven Week at Kearsney College, but he stood up to that pressure to help lead his side to remain unbeaten.
"My parents are always the ones keeping me grounded, for which I am grateful. I always try to stay true to myself because, after all, our talents come from the Almighty and therefore it's important to always try and stay humble. My coaches and teammates are key figures in helping me improve each weekend and try to help me live up to certain expectations," he said of the level of expectations at Craven Week.
His performances were rewarded with selection into the SA Schools team, while his incredible leadership qualities made him the obvious choice to lead the national schoolboy side in the upcoming International Series against England, France, Italy and Wales.
"I was so overwhelmed and happy when I heard the announcement. It's a massive privilege captaining the SA Schools side of 2016, but with that comes great responsibility. I am truly honoured and grateful to be given this amazing opportunity to lead such a prestigious side.
"One of the challenges will be to connect as a collective unit as soon as possible. We are a bunch of guys from various Unions joining together to achieve a common goal, but if you look at the calibre of the team with various great leaders, the transition of gelling as a unit will be easy.
"I'm sure the Northern Hemisphere sides will be well settled as they will be arriving in South Africa with a Six Nations under the belt. I think we can expect them to be really physical as always, but then again I'm sure our boys will be keen to get stuck in," he added.
Moerat admitted that a number of Unions had approached him to acquire his services, however, his drive to fulfil a childhood dream made the decision to stay at WP a lot easier.
"I have decided to stay at WP. I've always been an avid Province fan and have always dreamt of wearing the blue and white jersey at senior level. With that said, I would like to say thank you to all the Unions for showing me so much hospitality and interest, I am truly grateful," he stated.
