SOUTH African Commonwealth Games medal hopes, judoka Jacques van Zyl and wrestler Terry van Rensburg, were both menaces on the rugby field.
The problem is that, in their sports, T-boning opponents is legal.
Quietly spoken Van Rensburg, who went to Pietersburg High School, was called aside by his coach and was told he couldn’’t throw his opponents to the ground.
He duly apologised to the felled rival and stopped playing rugby.
Van Zyl laughs as he recalls those illicit moments from his days at Grey College in Bloemfontein. “I got some yellow cards for dangerous tackles.”
At Glasgow 2014 Van Rensburg, 19, is hoping to continue SA’’s proud wrestling tradition.
Not only did wrestling produce two medals at Delhi 2010, but it is joint fourth as SA’’s biggest supplier of Commonwealth silverware historically, alongside lawn bowls on 30 gongs.
Only athletics, swimming and boxing have fared better.
Van Zyl, 24, is aiming to scoop SA’’s first judo medal, but he is relishing the challenge. “I like making history. At the African championships in 2011 I was the first South African in 25 years to get a medal there.”
Although they are mean fighting machines, both avoid trouble outside competition.
Apart from delivering “a klap” to a drunk guy on one occasion, Van Zyl says he runs away from confrontation. “That’’s what judo teaches us.”
Van Rensburg admits that everybody in Polokwane knows he’’s a wrestler. “They think I do the WWE wrestling, so they’’re like, wow!” he smiles, admitting the professional stuff is “super- fake“.
Van Zyl and Van Rensburg were both young when starting their sports, falling in love instantly.
After school Van Zyl spent a year in Japan on a judo scholarship. “Judo is like a religion there. They train the kids hard from a young age,” he says, but quickly points out that Japan has lost its once tight grip on the sport.
“At the 2012 Olympics the best the Japanese men did was two silvers.”
Van Zyl also competed at the London Games, where he was leading until he lost by an ippon with 26 seconds remaining in his fight.
Taking aim at the 2016 Olympics, he wants to improve on his current world ranking of 22, which still makes him the top seed for Glasgow.
Van Rensburg hopes to compete at the Rio Games with his younger brother Lucius who made the podium at the world wrestling cadet championships.
The judo competition at the Commonwealth Games begins tomorrow(SUBS:Thursday), while the wrestling kicks off on Tuesday(SUBS:JULY29).
Youngsters used to throwing their weight around
SOUTH African Commonwealth Games medal hopes, judoka Jacques van Zyl and wrestler Terry van Rensburg, were both menaces on the rugby field.
The problem is that, in their sports, T-boning opponents is legal.
Quietly spoken Van Rensburg, who went to Pietersburg High School, was called aside by his coach and was told he couldn’’t throw his opponents to the ground.
He duly apologised to the felled rival and stopped playing rugby.
Van Zyl laughs as he recalls those illicit moments from his days at Grey College in Bloemfontein. “I got some yellow cards for dangerous tackles.”
At Glasgow 2014 Van Rensburg, 19, is hoping to continue SA’’s proud wrestling tradition.
Not only did wrestling produce two medals at Delhi 2010, but it is joint fourth as SA’’s biggest supplier of Commonwealth silverware historically, alongside lawn bowls on 30 gongs.
Only athletics, swimming and boxing have fared better.
Van Zyl, 24, is aiming to scoop SA’’s first judo medal, but he is relishing the challenge. “I like making history. At the African championships in 2011 I was the first South African in 25 years to get a medal there.”
Although they are mean fighting machines, both avoid trouble outside competition.
Apart from delivering “a klap” to a drunk guy on one occasion, Van Zyl says he runs away from confrontation. “That’’s what judo teaches us.”
Van Rensburg admits that everybody in Polokwane knows he’’s a wrestler. “They think I do the WWE wrestling, so they’’re like, wow!” he smiles, admitting the professional stuff is “super- fake“.
Van Zyl and Van Rensburg were both young when starting their sports, falling in love instantly.
After school Van Zyl spent a year in Japan on a judo scholarship. “Judo is like a religion there. They train the kids hard from a young age,” he says, but quickly points out that Japan has lost its once tight grip on the sport.
“At the 2012 Olympics the best the Japanese men did was two silvers.”
Van Zyl also competed at the London Games, where he was leading until he lost by an ippon with 26 seconds remaining in his fight.
Taking aim at the 2016 Olympics, he wants to improve on his current world ranking of 22, which still makes him the top seed for Glasgow.
Van Rensburg hopes to compete at the Rio Games with his younger brother Lucius who made the podium at the world wrestling cadet championships.
The judo competition at the Commonwealth Games begins tomorrow(SUBS:Thursday), while the wrestling kicks off on Tuesday(SUBS:JULY29).
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