Former Junior Springbok wing Wandile Mjekevu is hoping to represent the French national team in future.
Sport24
Mjekevu, 22, caught the eye as a teenager in 2010 when he scored a hat-trick playing for the Lions against the Chiefs in a Super Rugby game at Ellis Park.
He is big and strong (1.90m and 94kg) and was tipped by many as a future Springbok.
However, since that season his career went on a downward spiral and when he joined the Sharks in 2012 he struggled for game time.
He still played club rugby in Durban earlier this year but has since revived his career in France.
He got a chance at Top 14 club Perpignan for whom he has excelled in recent times. He scored two spectacular tries in a recent Heineken Cup win over Edinburgh and even got a chance to play against his childhood idol, Jonny Wilkinson who plays for Toulon.
Mjekevu said his future now lies in France.
“One day I’d like to play for France, but my current focus is with Perpignan. I’ve set myself new goals and want to play for Perpignan on a regular basis and see my long-term future here.
“There are negotiations to extend my contract here to two years. South Africa is not an option. I’ve met a girl here and I love the life in France,” said Mjekevu.
You know, Mjekevu was’nt even in the realistic category for Springbok honours in the foreseeable future… and if you are impatient at age 22, then by all means go find your place overseas…. and do your thing.
No loss which would hurt SA or the Springboks… or even any of the Super Rugby franchises.
Hy het by dit ook vreeslik min gespeel. So ek verstaan nie van waar af hy kom nie. Maar stem saam dat hy baie meer sou moes doen ‘n die groen en goud oor sy kop te trek. Daar is baie jonger vleuls wat meer talent wys op die staduim.
He was thrown into the deep end by Tricky Dickie a few years ago. That the man has talent is undeniable. He is big, has blistering pace, but at the Lions it seemed as if he had buttered his hands, and did not feature at the Sharks. But he has to ask himself why he did not feature at the Sharks.
If we do a cross code comparison, maybe he should take a leaf out of Quinton De Kock’s book. When he was found out in Sri Lanka, and the IPL, he came back and worked harder at his game than anyone else in the Lions squad, bar maybe Neil McKenzie. Look what at the results now.
Wandile work hard at your game, and then you will be noticed and selected for higher honours.
Always thought Mjekvu had the raw skills and talent to be a really good player.
Like L4e says, he just needs to work hard and get proper coaching.
Best of luck to he guy. Don’t blame him at all for going overseas.
Users Online
Total 135 users including 0 member, 135 guests, 0 bot online
Most users ever online were 3735, on 31 August 2022 @ 6:23 pm