Coast rugby’s true international mix
HE’S the rugby up-andcomer from Tasmania with Kiwi parents and a Dutch surname.
Kieran Van Brecht was “shocked” upon learning he would make his Queensland Premier Rugby starting debut for Bond University last weekend but he now has a chance to make the position his own.
Van Brecht made a nervous start to the home match against Norths before finding his feet in the convincing 41-7 victory.
“It is quite a different pace from ressies to premier grade so I was just trying to get the nerves out in the first half and get into the tempo,” he said.
His call-up from reserve grade came about with fellow Bullsharks lock Angus Blyth overseas with the Junior Wallabies contesting the World Rugby Under-20 Championship in France.
Van Brecht is nicknamed “Tassie” for his background. In the island state, his parents own a dairy farm in the tiny town of Ringarooma in the northeast.
He moved to the Gold Coast at the age of 18 to continue his rugby journey, given Tasmania’s dominant football code is Aussie rules.
“I played state for Tassie for a few years,” he said.
“When I finished college and high school, there is not much rugby down there so I decided to move up to Queensland, study and play rugby.”
The Bullsharks will need all of their young guns firing for when they try to take down Wests at Scifleet Stadium this afternoon.
Van Brecht, 21, is part of the production line to have come through the colts program that has Bond excited about its future.
The club wasted little time in stamping its mark on Van Brecht when he arrived.
“When I was in Tassie I started playing at inside centre and when I came up to here – just because the skill level of rugby down there wasn’t up to the pace here – the coach said I would like to try you at lock,” he recalled.
“It was in the first three weeks of me moving here … I have been playing lock ever since.”
If they can muster victory, the Bullsharks will leapfrog Wests on the ladder and – if results go their way – they could even jump from seventh up to fifth.
That would complete a remarkable turnaround, having entered last weekend at the foot of the ladder.
Bond are shooting three straight wins.
THERE IS NOT MUCH RUGBY DOWN THERE SO I DECIDED TO MOVE UP TO QUEENSLAND, STUDY AND PLAY RUGBY.
KIERAN VAN BRECHT
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