Schalk Brits – Player Profile
Schalk Brits has played with the South Africa Rugby Union as a hooker since his signing on in 2002. Brits, who was born in Empangeni, South Africa, completed his high school at the Paul Roos Gymnasium, which is well known for producing rugby players. After
graduating from school he joined the Stellenbosch University.
His career with the South African Rugby Union consisted of his playing at the position of hooker for Western province, the Stormers, the Barbarians, the Saracens and the Springboks. Apart from local derbies, he played for South Africa internationally in
about three matches.
The player has played for the Western Province from 2002-2004 and also during 2006-2009. While playing for the Province in the Currie Cup, he was capped 39 times, garnering a total score of 30 points in the games.
From 2006 to 2009, Brits was also part of the Stormer’s team. He was thus capped 38 times with this club, while also gathering about 20 points. He played the Super 14 tournament during his stay with the Stormers.
During his stay with the Stormers, Brits got the Man of the Match award in May 2008, while playing against England. He was also part of the Tri-Nations’ South African team for the same season.
In 2009, Brits joined the London Union Club’s team, the Saracens. He played the first match for this English team against the London Irish team. In September of 2009, Brits scored for the first time since joining the Saracens and helped the team win a 19-16
victory against the Gloucester team. For his first season with the Saracens, Brits scored 7 tries, taking his team through the Guinness Premiership’s final 2010. The game against the Leicester Tigers, in the Guinness Premiership, was an engaging game but was
lost 33-27 by the Saracens. However, his performance during the 2009-2010 season, earned him the Players' Player of the Year award.
To date he has been capped 24 times while playing with the Saracens, scoring 35 points in total. In early 2011, the Saracens were lead to victory against their nemesis of the Guinness Premiership final, the Leicester Tigers. The match was the final of the
Aviva Premiership tournament, which Brits helped the Saracens win.
As of June 27, he played again for his previous team the Stormers. This will be a short time contract with the Stormers, with Brits playing for them against the Crusaders as a substitute for the Stormer’s injured player Duane Vermeulen, in the Super 15 tournament’s
semi-final.
The soon-to-be-former captain of the Springboks has signed a two-year contract with the Saracens, in order to play as a hooker after his return from the RWC. As Mark McCall, the Saracens director says, “We are absolutely thrilled to have signed one of the
most prominent and admired players in world rugby.”
The player himself expresses, “I am delighted to have signed for a club widely renowned for the ferocious work ethic and spirit on the field and for the unique way it treats people off the field.”
Brits will be facing some problems due to this contract, however, the Chief Executive Officer of the Saracens Club is positive that both Brits and Smit will be happy with their positions, as both are professional athletes and exceptional players.
Despite facing the recent events and playing with both the Stormers and the Saracens, Brits is being hailed an excellent player. His stay with the English union and the Saracens’ team has been dubbed as his best performance so far.
Tags: