Budding tennis star now mixing it with Sevens’ best

He trained for hours per day, trying to do that slide he saw Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer do so many times on TV when playing the French Open at Roland Garros, to be followed up by a wicked top-spin forehand and that precisely-placed backhand. Way too skinny and small to play rugby like everyone else at school, Blitzboks debutant Dewald Human (right) was determined to become the next big thing in tennis.

The shot became better, but the slide was not that easy.

South Africa is just not clay court country.

Instead the 14-year-old Outeniqua High School pupil developed his own way to slide and to compensate for the lack of clay.

This intuitive knowledge of how to use his feet came to good use when his friends called him over to come and play touch rugby with them during breaks at this famous rugby school.

Ball skills would never be an issue and when he also proved pretty elusive with rugby ball in hand, Under-16 coach Pieter Cloete, who happened to walk past his age group team playing touch, had little hesitation inviting Human to try out at rugby.

Problem was that Human, at the time, was the smallest, skinniest kid on the field (he still is) and that was pointed out by his tennis coach Danny Sullivan, who told him in no uncertain terms that he was crazy to try and play rugby with his frame.

The one thing Human never shies away from though, is a challenge and he not only attended trials, but then was catapulted into the game quicker than Nadal would get his shirt dirty at Roland Garros.

The path to schoolboy rugby glory was as quick as any ace served up in Paris during the French Open.

Human made the provincial Under-16 side to compete in the Grant Khomo Week and then made the SWD Craven Week side for two years in a row, despite the fact that he was 1.65m and only weighed in at 65kg.

In his final year at school he also made the SA Schools team and signed for the Blue Bulls.

His aptitude for space and elusive running at this time also captured the attention of Marius Schoeman, SA Rugby Sevens academy manager. He drafted Human into the Commonwealth Youth Games Under-18 team that won gold in Rugby Sevens in Australia. The team was coached by one Neil Powell, fresh into his new trade after retiring as a player.

Human made an immediate impact in Pretoria as well, representing the University of Pretoria in the highly competitive FNB Varsity Cup, playing at fullback and flyhalf and then represented the Vodacom Blue Bulls at Under-19 and Under-21 level.

He was drafted into the Southern Kings’ Vodacom Cup squad in 2016 and scored the winning try on debut, coming on as a replacement at fullback, against the Jaguares, a team laden with players who took Argentina to a semifinal of the Rugby World Cup the year before.

He made his first start for the Kings at flyhalf against the Stormers at Newlands, so having to perform on the big stage is not something Human is unfamiliar with.

His true inspiration for performing today and tomorrow though will come from driving past Roland Garros this week, for so long his field of dreams.

Human was out of action for most of the year due to a groin injury, but now gets his chance to show why he should be associated with the leading team in the World Rugby Sevens Series. – Own Correspondent