LUAN Giliomee has gone from supporting the DHL Stormers as a youngster to playing for the Hollywoodbets Sharks and now potentially making his debut for the Vodacom Bulls in the Investec Champions Cup this weekend — a remarkable journey for a player who is just 20 years old.
Born in Ceres, the talented flyhalf and fullback grew up backing Western Province and the Stormers before beginning his professional career with the Sharks in Durban.
Now, after arriving at Loftus Versfeld last week, he is on the verge of a new chapter in Pretoria, with French club Stade Français potentially standing in his way on his Bulls debut this weekend.
It is a lot to take in at such an early stage of his career, but Giliomee appears to be embracing the opportunity with maturity and enthusiasm.
He will be competing with two experienced Springboks, Willie le Roux and Handré Pollard, for a place in the Bulls’ starting line-up. Rather than being intimidated by the challenge, however, the youngster is relishing the chance to learn from some of the game’s leading figures.
“They [the Bulls squad] were basically accepting me with open arms. It was a surreal experience,” he told the Bulls media team, reflecting on meeting his new teammates after making the move from the Sharks.
Although he makes no secret of his childhood allegiance to the Stormers, Giliomee is already warming to his new surroundings.
“I’ve learned to be quite fond of the Vodacom Bulls,” he said.
Bulls coach Johan Ackermann will be hoping to develop the youngster into a major force in South African rugby. Having emerged as one of the most exciting prospects to come through the Sharks system in recent years, Giliomee now has an opportunity to accelerate his development alongside some of the country’s most experienced players.
His approach is refreshingly straightforward: listen, learn and improve.
With Pollard and Le Roux among those he can turn to for guidance, Giliomee says he is determined to absorb as much knowledge as possible.
“I just try to be like a sponge and take everything in,” he said.
The humble youngster is not getting ahead of himself, either, insisting that his priority is to keep improving in all aspects of his game.
He also understands how quickly circumstances can change in professional rugby.
“Everything can be taken away, but things can be given to you,” he said.
A possible Champions Cup debut this weekend would represent another significant milestone in his young career. The competition offers an opportunity to test himself against some of the best players in the world, something Giliomee is eager to experience.
“You want to compete against the best in the world, and you realise that’s happening in this competition,” he added.
With the Bulls looking to make their mark in Europe, Giliomee could soon find himself stepping onto one of rugby’s biggest stages. His progress will be watched closely as he looks to turn promise into performance and establish himself in Pretoria.
The Bulls will, however, be without Springbok wing-cum-centre Canan Moodie for the clash after he was ruled out under head injury assessment (HIA) protocols.