DYLAN SAGE – THE IKEYS MOST RECENT 7’S SPRINGBOK

Dylan Sage was capped as a Springbok Sevens player and was part of the tournament winning Bok team at the inaugural Cape Town Sevens.

At the same time former Ikey and sevens captain Kyle Brown played in his 50^th tournament.

Dylan, an ex Wynberg Boys scholar first represented the Ikey Tigers in the 2013 Varsity Cup competition. He was a member of the Western Province U21 teams that played in the Under-21 Provincial Championships in 2012 and 2013, but made just a single appearance in 2012.

Dylan was one of a number of South Africans who moved to Perth prior to the 2014 season to join the Force and he was included in their Wider Training Group for the 2014 Super Rugby season. He did not make any appearances at Super Rugby level, but did play in the 2014 Pacific Rugby Cup with the Western Force A side and also played club rugby for Associates in the Premier Grade competition.

He again represented the UCT Ikey Tigers in the Varsity Cup competition in 2015, starting all eight of the matches and scoring two tries as UCT reached the semi-finals of the competition before losing to eventual champions UFS Shimlas. In late 2015, Dylan was contracted by SARU to join the South Africa Sevens team. He was named as a member of extended training squad for the side preparing for the 2016 Summer Olympics. He was called in as injury cover for the 2015 South Africa Sevens.

Dylan is the latest of a long line of talented Ikeys who have gone on to win international colours in the sevens game like Dion O'Cuinneagain, Selborne Boome, Gcobani_Bobo, Brent Russell, Kevin Foote, Mpho Mbiyozo, Kyle Brown, Paul Delport, Pieter Engelbrecht, Matt Turner (Eng), Dallen Standford (USA) and Matt Hawkins (USA).

Rugby talent runs deep in the Sage household and younger brother Jarryd was part of the WP under 21 Currie Cup winning side and also played for the Ikeys in 2015.  They are the grandsons of Springbok legend, Doug Hopwood.

Doctor Danie Craven, the legendary South African rugby superstar of the 1930’s, a prominent member of the 1937 Springboks in New Zealand, considered to be the best rugby team to “ever leave the shores of New Zealand, by no less than Kiwi rugby cognoscenti, and later the highly esteemed boss of South African rugby for many years, was convinced that rugby genes are passed on to subsequent generations by famous Springboks.

Doug Hopwood was arguably, alongside Hennie Muller, the greatest Springbok 8^th man of the amateur era. 

It is hoped Dylan will emulate his illustrious grandfather. Much will be expected of the young Ikey, and we will all follow his blossoming career with great interest. 

In closing, we pay tribute to the stellar Springbok Sevens career of Kyle Brown, who has been not only an inspirational captain, but a highly effective player. Congratulations, Kyle. You have done the Ikeys proud.