Warrick Gelant is ready to realise a lifelong dream of representing Barbarian F.C. as he finally reunites with old school mate Duhan van der Merwe.
The DHL Stormers star is one of the latest raft of players to link up with the Barbarians in Cape Town ahead of Saturday’s clash with South Africa in Port Elizabeth.
Gelant, who has won 10 Springbok caps and was part of the 2019 Rugby World Cup winning squad, will go up against his fellow countrymen in a full circle moment for multiple reasons.
Not only will he face his Stormers and Springbok teammates at the Nelson Madela Bay Stadium, but he reunites with others including Scotland wing Van der Merwe.
The duo both attended Outeniqua High School in George before progressing to the Blue Bulls but going their separate ways in the professional game.
And Gelant is relishing an unforgettable occasion as he pulls on the famous black and white hoops for the first time.
Speaking in Cape Town he said: “It’s special. It’s every player’s dream to play in a Barbarians team, playing with guys you play against or see on TV.
“The Barbarians is about implementing the fundamentals of the game, getting that enjoyment back and doing all the things that made you fall in love with the game.
“It’s about having fun and getting to know world class players from all over the world.
“I know Virimi Vakatawa from Racing but we also played against each other in Sevens and then obviously South Africa vs France.
“I played with Duhan in school and to come here together more than 10 years later is amazing.
“We went to the Bulls from school but he was in the Sevens for a stint. I thought maybe we would get a chance to play together but we never got it. He’s obviously playing for Scotland now so the dream was down the drain but then I saw he was also coming here. It’s special.”
Gelant is the only Springbok in the Barbarians squad to face South Africa and is acutely aware of the challenge that lies ahead in Port Elizabeth.
But with so much quality and experience within the Baa-Baas ranks, combined with a competitive edge and a healthy respect for their opposition, he expects an enthralling encounter.
He continued: “It’s going to be a nice occasion. It’s against my teammates and guys that I know well. They are the best in the world so going up against them is going to be a big challenge for all of us. It’s not often that you can play against the World Champs if you are South African.
“But they have special players with great coaches who are taking them to the next level. There is no average player at the Springboks and they are all together, which makes it even more difficult given we come together from all over the world.
“(The Barbarians is about enjoyment) but it’s not necessarily going all out and not taking responsibility for what you do. We want to give our best punches that we put together and test them just as much as they are going to test us.
“We have guys that have pride in themselves, that have played at the highest level for a long time. Guys like Duhan, TJ Perenara, Andrew Kellaway. These are top professionals, they want to perform and with the respect we have for the Springboks, we want to go out and give them a good challenge.
“The game will require always three things (in attack). It’s running, passing or kicking. It’s just what do you want to do in a given moment and do you have enough responsibility with the decision you’re going to make. It’s a great place to look for space, see space and go to it with whatever necessary means.”
“We just focus on the way we want to play rugby and we want to express ourselves in a way that’s aligned with the Barbarians. It’s my first time, so I want to make it memorable.”
At 31 and with stints at the Vodacom Bulls and Racing 92, as well as the Stormers, there is not much Gelant has not seen in the game.
But combining with new players and working with the likes of Scott Robertson and Felipe Contepomi is not only refreshing but providing ideas and experience to take back to his club.
He added: “Filipe is player that I used to watch. He’s one of a few Argentinians that you could relate to in the way he played the game at 10 and 12, the way he controlled the game. His kicking game, passing game, he’s running game.
“Razor also, he is open, he is so down to earth and makes himself so accessible. You learn open-fire ideas when you are on the road. You share ideas and that’s something I can take back myself but also to the Stormers and the younger guys.
“It’s IP you can share with the world. It’s so special.”
Tickets are available for the Springboks v Barbarians clash – Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha) 20 June exclusively at springboks.tmtickets.co.za. Tickets for Barbarians v Wales Double Header – Allianz Stadium – Twickenham 27 June are available via Ticketmaster.co.uk and England Rugby, starting from just £20* for adults and £10* for under-16s. Hospitality packages are also available from £179+VAT PP, visit www.allianzstadiumtwickenham.com *Booking fees apply.
