Robbie la Grange – HTS Middelburg Captain
Player Profile
On Saturday Ermelo host HTS Middelburg in a FNB Classic Clash. Robbie la Grange captains HTS Middelburg from the No.8 position.
Robbie la Grange, short for Robert, was born in Witbank on 2 February 1988. He attended three different primary schools before his parents moved to Middelburg and him to HTS Middelburg. He has played loose-forward most of his life but dabbled with a bit of scrumhalf and centre earlier. Last year he also captained the Rooi Bulle, when he was the only Std 9 (Grade 11) player in the team.
Robbie comes from a rugby playing family, his dad having played for South Eastern Transvaal, as Mpumalanga used to be called.
He is in the hostel at HTS Middelburg and is a school and hostel prefect. Robbie says that even though it is quite a responsibility he is enjoying leading his team, hostel and school. HTS Middelburg is a co-ed school with approximately 1200 pupils.
Robbie himself already has serious rugby pedigree having represented the Pumas at every age group level. In fact he captained the Under-13 Craven Week team that won the tournament and he played for the Under-16 Grant Khomo team, again as captain. Last year in Grade 11 he represented the Pumas Academy team, again as captain, and naturally he is hoping to go one better this year.
He has already been approached by Tukkies and Pukke and will decide between them as to where he wants to study law and further his rugby career in 2007.
Relatively small for an eighth-man, Robbie stands 1.81 metres tall and weighs 86 kgs, but he cites his speed and skills as his strengths. With a time of 11.3 seconds for the 100 metre sprint he is certainly no slouch. It comes as no surprise that he loves to run with the ball and cover-defend. Robbie admires the skill, speed and acceleration of the Sharks and Springbok utility back Brent Russell.
HTS Middelburg lost two key players, including their flyhalf Ampie Korff, to long-term injuries a few weeks ago and Robbie says that they have been in a bit of a dip of late. Before that HTS Middelburg scored their best win of the season to date, over Affies. Robbie says the team are slowly recovering from the setback and he is confident that they can repeat their feat of last year and beat Ermelo on Saturday.
HTS Middelburg have a well balanced team this year but Robbie says that their backs in particular are very skilful.
Robbie is nursing a knock to the head and will not be playing on Saturday. The team will be led by scrumhalf Janus Terblanche in his place. But he will be there.
