Bright future awaits

I’m certain that if William Gilbert keeps playing rugby the way he is now, he’ll be our first North Coast, born and bred, Springbok. He plays with the same fire as legendary New Zealand prop Steve McDowell and has the same commanding field presence as Springbok Frikkie van der Merwe. William is a young man whose character has been forged out of something special; when he runs out onto the rugby pitch he brings something unique to his team and the game of rugby in general.

When I pull up to La Piazza early on a Saturday morning to chat with William over breakfast he is already standing outside, waiting for me with a massive smile on his face. This is the William I’ve got to know over the past five
years: coaching him in his first year at club rugby and then watching his journey that has led to him playing first team at Westville Boys High School this year. I’ve also got to know that as much as this boy’s heart is as
big as his smile I wouldn’t want to be bounced by him on a rugby field – he is a machine.

William only started playing rugby when he was eleven years old, in his grade 7 year at Umhlali Preparatory.
That’s late nowadays, considering how many professionals can remember their first coaching sessions as young as 6 or 7. His coach at Umhlali asked him to come to rugby trials for the first time – he preferred cricket before then – and he fell in love with rugby right there and then. He knew little about what opportunities rugby could or would unlock for him. Back then it was all about how playing the game made him feel and that he had found a sport he excelled at.

After his first school season finished he decided to join local rugby club, the Dolphins. William was a big boy for an U12 player, carrying a little more bulk than he liked but it never stopped him working harder than  most. I remember giving him the option to run less, do fewer laps or sit out at times – he never took it, he reckoned he needed to work as hard as the rest of his team. That showed his gritty character back then already. When William runs through his rugby career so far, it seems effortless and definitely doesn’t do justice to the hundreds of hours spent training, preparing and playing the game. After grade seven William headed to Destiny Life Academy to tackle high school.
Rugby wasn’t offered as a sport so William joined Dolphins once again. He played, as a 14 year old, across three different age groups, U14, U16 and U18B team. Why? Because they needed him to and he was doing what
he loved, playing rugby.

In 2013 William got a chance to play for Ashton College through a mutual agreement between the two schools and he made his grand entrance back into school boy rugby. His Ashton team mates made William feel right at home and the U15 team had a sterling season. In 2014 William played U16 rugby for Ashton and got to play more than the occasional 1st XV game. He’s valued, given his impressive ball skills in hand for a front-row forward but his main strength was his commitment to the team’s scrums and his explosive strength at breakdown ball. William went on to play U16 club rugby for Varsity College who won the league in 2014. This was also when he got to experience one of his career highlights, being chosen to represent KZN rugby. The night he got that news William couldn’t sleep because he was so excited.

This year William is playing rugby for Westville High on a rugby scholarship, having been scouted at the end of 2014. Westville wasn’t the only school who put their hand up to have William, but it’s where he felt he could play the best rugby. “Playing and boarding at Westville has its challenges,” William admits. “There are days I miss the home town support I got when I played for Ashton. The Westville games are derby affairs with huge turnouts but it’s different when you’ve got your band of supporters on the side-line. When I played in Ballito I’d have friends encourage me on the day if I was having an off game. But now, I have to be on form all the time because an off-day means I get substituted quickly. There aren’t coaches telling you to lift your game…they take you off and only tell you what you did wrong in post-match sessions. It’s definitely in a different league, but I love it!”

William has morphed physically and his game has grown in leaps and bounds technically. He’s worked hard over the past few years, putting in hours of on-the-field training, gyming and even making sure he stays active when he is off season. As each year has passed his size and strength has improved and William appreciates it’s something you have to work at. He plays rugby for most of the year – when it’s not school rugby he’s playing club rugby – making
sure he gets that valued time on the field, because that’s where Springboks spend their time. Nowadays he follows a proper eating plan given to him by the coaching team at Westville. “I’m conscious about what I eat to fuel and power my body, making sure I’m doing what is right. I do this because professional teams aren’t looking for bulk and size as much as they are looking for speed, agility and players who have heart for the game. I want to
be just that, to whatever team asks me to join them.”

Looking ahead there is a lot more planning and thinking that goes into his career. It’s playing 1st team Westville in 2016 if all goes according to plan; but there is no question that he wants to put on the green and gold for South Africa and he’ll work as hard as it takes to make it happen. “My dream is to play rugby first. I’ll play anywhere but obviously I’m not going to take the first offer than comes along, I want to be sure it’s the right place to play that will help me reach my goal.” He tells me. “I love the physicality of the game as well as the technical part of it. I’ve always been able to bring the physical side but now, being coached at Westville, we’re learning the technical aspects of the game and that is something I love. You’re getting taught that your hands aren’t just hands anymore…they are machines and they need to operate and perform consistently all the time.”

What impresses me about William is that he has remained humble. During his interview he kept acknowledging those who have backed him and he is grateful to his parents for their support. While he’s happy to answer all the questions I throw at him he comes alive the most when we talk rugby.

That’s definitely where his heart is, and I know that I’ll be buying a ticket one day to watch him play at the highest level.

Words: Justin Scott