Victor Kutlwano Sekekete (born 28 January 1994) is a South African professional rugby union player for Griquas in the Currie Cup and in the Rugby Challenge.[1] His regular position is flanker, but he also played as a lock earlier in his career.

Victor Sekekete
Full nameVictor Kutlwano Sekekete
Date of birth (1994-01-28) 28 January 1994 (age 30)
Place of birthJohannesburg, South Africa
Height1.96 m (6 ft 5 in)
Weight101 kg (223 lb; 15 st 13 lb)
SchoolQueens High School
Rugby union career
Position(s) Flanker / Lock
Current team Cheetahs / Free State Cheetahs
Youth career
2012–2015 Golden Lions
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
2014 UJ 8 (0)
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2015–2017 Golden Lions XV 14 (5)
2016 Golden Lions 3 (5)
2017–2018 Eastern Province Kings 2 (5)
2017–2018 Southern Kings 4 (0)
2019–2020 Griquas 17 (10)
2020– Cheetahs 0 (0)
2020– Free State Cheetahs 25 (10)
Correct as of 10 July 2022
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2014 South Africa Under-20 1 (0)
Correct as of 17 April 2018

Rugby career

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2012 : Schoolboy rugby

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Sekekete was born in Johannesburg, where he attended Queens High School. In 2012, he was selected to represent the Golden Lions at the premier rugby union competition for high schools in South Africa, the Under-18 Craven Week.[2] He started all three of their matches as a lock, as his team qualified to play in the unofficial final match of the tournament, where they lost to Gauteng rivals the Blue Bulls.[3]

2013–2015 : Youth rugby

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After school, Sekekete joined the Golden Lions academy. He featured in all fourteen of the Golden Lions U19 team's matches in the 2013 Under-19 Provincial Championship, starting thirteen of those and playing off the bench in the other. He scored three tries during the season – one against the Free State U19s[4] and one in each of their matches against the Leopards U19s.[5][6] The Golden Lions topped the log to qualify for the semi-finals,[7] at which stage they beat Sharks U19 27–25,[8] before losing 23–35 in the final against the Blue Bulls.[9]

Sekekete started the 2014 season by playing in the Varsity Cup competition for UJ, being utilised as a flanker for the first time. He featured in all seven of their matches in a disappointing season that saw the team finish second-bottom of the log[10] which meant they had to compete in a relegation play-off to retain their Varsity Cup status. Sekete started the play-off match in which UJ easily beat Varsity Shield runners-up UKZN Impi to remain in the top tier.[11]

Sekekete was then included in the South Africa Under-20 squad that competed at the 2014 IRB Junior World Championship in New Zealand. He was not included in the squad for their opening match in Pool C, a 61–5 victory over Scotland,[12] but played off the bench in their next match, a 33–24 victory over the hosts.[13] He was named on the bench for their remaining three fixtures in the competition – a 21– win over Samoa to secure top spot in Pool C to qualify for the semi-finals,[14] a 32–25 win over New Zealand in the semi-finals[15] and a 20–21 loss to England in the final[16] – but failed to get any game time in those matches.

Sekekete returned to domestic action by making twelve appearances for the Golden Lions U21 team in the 2014 Under-21 Provincial Championship. He scored two tries during the competition – both in a 113–3 victory over Border U21[17] – as the Golden Lions finished in third spot on the log[18] before losing to the Blue Bulls in the semi-finals, the only match of the season that Sekekete did not feature in.[19]

Sekekete made his domestic first class debut on 13 March 2015, appearing as a replacement in the Golden Lions XV's 31–21 victory over the Limpopo Blue Bulls,[20] his only appearance in the competition. He again featured in every match for the Golden Lions U21 team in the 2015 Under-21 Provincial Championship. In his most prolific season so far in his career, he scored tries against the Sharks,[21] Eastern Province and[22] Leopards[23] during the regular season, and another one in their 20–43 defeat to Western Province in the semi-finals of the competition.[24]

2016–present : Golden Lions

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Sekekete's second taste of domestic first class action came in the 2016 Currie Cup qualification series for the Golden Lions XV, making two starts and coming on as a reserve in six matches, scoring a brace of tries in their final match in the competition, a 24–28 loss to the Boland Cavaliers in Grabouw.[25]

Sekekete was included in the Golden Lions' Currie Cup squad for the first time for the 2016 season.[26] He was named on the bench for their opening match of the season against the Pumas and made his Currie Cup debut by coming on for the final twelve minutes of a 68–26 victory.[27]

References

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  1. ^ "SA Rugby Player Profile – Victor Sekekete". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  2. ^ "SA Rugby Squad – Lions : 2012 U18 Craven Week". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  3. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Blue Bulls 47–0 Lions". South African Rugby Union. 14 July 2012. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  4. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – MTN Golden Lions 26–14 Toyota Free State". South African Rugby Union. 27 July 2013. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  5. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Leopards 27–34 MTN Golden Lions". South African Rugby Union. 2 August 2013. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  6. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – MTN Golden Lions 32–27 Leopards". South African Rugby Union. 20 September 2013. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  7. ^ "SA Rugby Log – 2013 Absa Under 19 Competition". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  8. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – MTN Golden Lions 27–25 The Sharks U19". South African Rugby Union. 18 October 2013. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  9. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – MTN Golden Lions 23–35 Vodacom Blue Bulls". South African Rugby Union. 26 October 2013. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  10. ^ "SA Rugby Log – 2014 FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  11. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – FNB UJ 42–8 FNB UKZN". South African Rugby Union. 7 April 2014. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  12. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa 61–5 Scotland". South African Rugby Union. 2 June 2014. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  13. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – New Zealand 24–33 South Africa". South African Rugby Union. 6 June 2014. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  14. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Samoa 8–21 South Africa". South African Rugby Union. 10 June 2014. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  15. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa 32–25 New Zealand". South African Rugby Union. 15 June 2014. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  16. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – England 21–20 South Africa". South African Rugby Union. 20 June 2014. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  17. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Golden Lions U21 113–3 Border U21". South African Rugby Union. 16 August 2014. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  18. ^ "SA Rugby Log – 2014 Absa Under 21 Competition". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  19. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Blue Bulls U21 23–19 Golden Lions U21". South African Rugby Union. 17 October 2014. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  20. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Assupol Limpopo Blue Bulls 21–31 Xerox Golden Lions". South African Rugby Union. 13 March 2015. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  21. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Sharks U21 20–19 Golden Lions U21". South African Rugby Union. 22 August 2015. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  22. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Golden Lions U21 40–24 EP Kings U21". South African Rugby Union. 5 September 2015. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  23. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Golden Lions U21 56–20 Leopards U21". South African Rugby Union. 10 October 2015. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  24. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Western Province U21 43–20 Golden Lions U21". South African Rugby Union. 17 October 2015. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  25. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Boland Cavaliers 28–24 Xerox Golden Lions XV". South African Rugby Union. 23 July 2016. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  26. ^ "SA Rugby Squad – Xerox Golden Lions : 2016 Currie Cup Premier Division". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  27. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Xerox Golden Lions 68–26 Steval Pumas". South African Rugby Union. 13 August 2016. Retrieved 19 August 2016.