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Johannesburg - Ofentse Maubane’s commitment has not gone unnoticed and he has been selected to play for the South African Under-18 squad that will participate in the Windhoek International Sevens Tournament on March
9 and 10.
“I never thought I would play at that level,” he told City Press. “But now that I have been selected, it’s a great honour for me.”
The 18-year-old made the cut for the final 12-man squad.
The player, who was born in Lebowakgomo in Limpopo, shared how rugby won his heart when he was a child.
“It all started when I went to Laerskool Pietersburg Noord. I was in Grade 3 and saw kids playing (rugby) and chasing one another, then I started playing too.”
The school rugby coach asked him to join the team.
“From then, I went to Ben Vorster High School in Tzaneen, where I played as a wing and scrumhalf for the Under-15 squad.”
The Polokwane-based player has been playing for the provincial team, the Limpopo Blue Bulls, since he was 12.
Now a Grade 12 pupil at Curro Heuwelkruin in Polokwane, Maubane has been part of the national team for a while.
He was a member of the South African Under-17 Sevens rugby team at inter-provincial and international level.
Maubane is multi-talented - not only is he a brilliant rugby player, he also shines in athletics.
He set new records for 100m (10.62) and 200m (21.84) athletics at Limpopo Independent Schools’ games representing Curro.
But most of his highlights have been in rugby.
“My highlight was when we were playing against Argentina, where I scored a hat-trick of tries. The last came in the dying minutes of the game.
“Ever since I was young, I have dreamt of playing for the Blitzboks, so I would choose rugby over athletics.”
This year, he plans to do well in his studies so he can study law at Stellenbosch University in the Western Cape.
His love for sport has also got the rest of his siblings interested. His three-year-old brother Bohlale is already talking about playing rugby, and his seven-year-old sister Keoratile is participating in athletics.
