Cockerill hails bravery of new recruit Venter
EDINBURGH head coach Richard Cockerill has praised his teenage signing Jordan Venter for his courage in adversity after he was involved in a car crash that killed his stepfather and two stepbrothers. Venter was a back-seat passenger in the family car that was hit by a coal truck, which left three dead and both himself and his mother fighting for their lives.
The horrific accident near the border between South Africa and Mozambique three years ago, when he was just 15, claimed the lives of his mother’s partner Hein and his two sons, Christian, who was 15, and Aldin, 12.
Jordan’s mum Gillian was badly injured and suffered a punctured liver. She took months to recover.
Jordan, who hadn’t been wearing a seat belt, was thrown out of the car and when found on the roadside was rushed to intensive care with a punctured lung, a cracked pelvis and a fractured skull. He was bedridden for six months and had to learn to walk again.
As he lay in his hospital bed, a return to playing rugby wasn’t even in the thoughts of the young South African. He just wanted to get better.
It is an indication of the strength of character of the 6ft 2in centre that, less than two years later, he was back catching the eye playing rugby for the Paul Roos Gymnasium School in Stellenbosch on the Western Cape, which is the alma mater of former Scotland international Josh Strauss, as well as Springbok greats such as Schalk Brits and Willie le Roux.
Always ambitious even after such a personal tragedy, Venter put together a showreel of him in action for his school that was noticed by Edinburgh Rugby’s worldwide scout Matthew Cornwall, who invited him across for a week-long trial last September.
The youngster impressed so much that he was invited back, along with his dad Pieter, by head coach Richard Cockerill to sign.
Venter, now 18 and taking a break from training alone in the Western Cape this week to keep him in shape, didn’t want to talk at this stage about the family tragedy but was excited at joining up with Edinburgh in December after finishing school in South Africa.
He has an English mum and was born in South Africa so could play for either country any time, but will have to wait five years to represent Scotland through the residency ruling.
Cockerill made clear he was putting Edinburgh first by signing Venter as he was a top young talent who had huge potential.
‘His is an amazing story, really, which clearly has a bearing on how he approaches life and the opportunities he wants to take, so fair play to him,’ said Cockerill.
‘He is a young, athletic centre with bags of potential. I know of his background and what happened but I was also very aware of his capabilities as a player and where he was at Paul Roos School and in the South African system.
‘Look, he’s an 18-year-old lad who will come here and wants to play professional rugby. We’re going to give him an opportunity and see where he gets to.
‘We watched his highlights from a schoolboy age group and we touched base. We had a conversation and brought him and his dad over for a week.
‘Jordan is physically very well developed and is well thought of in the South African schools system.
‘I don’t know where things will end. In five years’ time, he can play for Scotland. In two years’ time, if he does well here, he could play for England or South Africa. But he’s still a young man, he’s never played at this level, so we’ve no idea what he’s going to be like at the end.’
Cockerill is already making plans for next season with former Scotland captain John Barclay leaving the club after not being offered a new contract.
There are also question marks over whether fly-half Simon Hickey and Scotland international centre Matt Scott will be on their way as they have not yet received contract-extension offers.
Edinburgh are already in talks with Worcester Warriors fly-half Jono Lance as a replacement for Hickey. The Australian can also play at full-back and centre. ‘We’ve been looking at our No10 options and Jono has been one of them,’ said the Edinburgh head coach.
‘We are also looking at guys like Nathan Chamberlain and others who are coming through at the club in that position.
‘Our fly-half, Jaco van der Walt, becomes Scottish-qualified in the autumn and we’re looking for good-quality guys who can help us develop now, as well as having one eye on the future and bringing guys through.’
Cockerill would prefer to see the Pro14 season battled to a finish through the play-off system if possible, but admitted that was a long shot. When the league shut down, his team were top of Conference A and certain of a play-off spot.
‘Whatever happens, I think we have kept our consistency this season,’ he said. ‘Our attacking game has improved. We’ve scored more tries and we are a lot more dangerous ball in hand. The way we play is better to watch and we’re winning more games.
‘Our defence has got better. Normally, when you open your attacking game, your defensive game becomes more vulnerable.
‘But, with us, it’s the better we attack, the more we keep the ball.
‘We have also been keeping the continuity of the squad. To have 16, 17 guys from Edinburgh in the Scotland squad for the Six Nations is huge.’
Meanwhile, Saracens winger Sean Maitland has been linked with a move back to Scotland.
The English club were relegated from the top flight after breaching the salary cap and reports down south suggest they are trying to balance the books, with Maitland being offered to the SRU, who fund Edinburgh and Glasgow Warriors.