Junior Pokomela

Junior Pokomela
Personal information
Full name Junior Sipato Pokomela
Born (1996-12-10) 10 December 1996
Port Elizabeth, South Africa
Height 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Weight 99 kg (15 st 8 lb)
School(s) attended Grey High School, Port Elizabeth
University Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
Club information
Playing position Loose forward
Current club Eastern Province Kings / Kings
Youth career
2012– Eastern Province Kings
Amateur team(s)
Years Team
2016– NMMU Madibaz 4 (5)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Pts)†
2016– Eastern Province Kings 1 (0)
Representative team(s)‡
2014 South Africa Schools 1 (0)

* Senior club appearances and points correct as of 11 April 2016.
† Appearances (Points).

‡ Representative team caps and points correct as of 6 April 2016.

Junior Sipato Pokomela (born 10 December 1996 in Port Elizabeth, South Africa) is a South African rugby union player, currently playing with the Eastern Province Kings.[1] His regular position is loose forward.

Rugby career

2012–14: Under-16 and Under-18 rugby

Pokomela earned his first provincial selection in 2012, when he represented Eastern Province at the Under-16 Grant Khomo Week held in Johannesburg, starting all three of their matches in the tournament.

In 2014, he was selected to represent Eastern Province at the premier schools tournament in South Africa, the Under-18 Craven Week, held in Middelburg, once again starting all three of their matches in the tournament. At the conclusion of the tournament, Pokomela was included in a South Africa Schools squad.[2] He was an unused replacement in their 40–15 victory over Wales,[3] but started their next match as they suffered a 22–30 defeat to England.[4]

2015: Eastern Province Under-19

In 2015, he joined the Eastern Province academy; he was included in the Eastern Province U19 squad that participated in Group A of the 2015 Under-19 Provincial Championship. He immediately established himself as a the first choice Eighth man for the team, starting all fourteen of their matches during the competition. He scored two tries in their match against Free State U19 in a 29–10 victory in Port Elizabeth[5] and scored further tries in their matches against Free State U19 in Bloemfontein,[6] Leopards U19,[7] Blue Bulls U19,[8] Sharks U19[9] and Western Province U19[10] to help his side top the log, winning eleven of their twelve matches and qualifying for home advantage in the semi-final. Pokomela scored his fourth try in three matches against Free State in a 31–15 semi-final victory[11] to see his team reach the final. Although he didn't score in the final, he played the entire 70 minutes of a 25–23 victory over Blue Bulls U19[12] to help his side become champions for the first time in their history.[13]

2016: Super Rugby, Varsity Cup and Currie Cup qualification

On 13 December 2015, Pokomela was included on a list of 20 players released by the South African Rugby Union that would be part of the Kings squad for the 2016 Super Rugby season.[14]

He wasn't utilised at the start of the competition, instead playing in the 2016 Varsity Cup competition with the NMMU Madibaz. He started four of their matches and scored a try in their 46–33 victory over UCT Ikey Tigers[15] in a season that saw NMMU finished in seventh position on the log.

Following serious financial problems at the Eastern Province Kings at the end of the 2015 season which saw a number of first team regular leave the union,[16] Pokomela was among a number of youngsters that were promoted to the squad that competed in the 2016 Currie Cup qualification series,[17]

He was named in the starting lineup for their first match of the season against the SWD Eagles[18] and played the entire 80 minutes of a 14–37 defeat.[19]

Pokomela was included in a 56-man South Africa Under-20 training squad as the team prepared for the 2016 World Rugby Under 20 Championship,[20] and also survived the first cut to be named in a 36-man provisional squad named a week later.[21]

References

  1. ↑ "SA Rugby Player Profile – Junior Pokomela". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
  2. ↑ "SARU names 2014 SA Schools squad" (Press release). South African Rugby Union. 31 July 2014. Archived from the original on 11 April 2016. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
  3. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – SA Schools 40-15 Wales U18". South African Rugby Union. 19 August 2014. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
  4. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – SA Schools 22-30 England U18". South African Rugby Union. 23 August 2014. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
  5. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Eastern Province U19 29-10 Free State U19". South African Rugby Union. 11 September 2015. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
  6. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Free State U19 15-28 Eastern Province U19". South African Rugby Union. 11 July 2015. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
  7. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Leopards U19 24-41 Eastern Province U19". South African Rugby Union. 18 July 2015. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
  8. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Eastern Province U19 24-15 Blue Bulls U19". South African Rugby Union. 31 July 2015. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
  9. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Eastern Province U19 26-7 Sharks U19". South African Rugby Union. 29 August 2015. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
  10. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Western Province U19 6-23 Eastern Province U19". South African Rugby Union. 9 October 2015. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
  11. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Eastern Province U19 31-15 Free State U19". South African Rugby Union. 16 October 2015. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
  12. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Eastern Province U19 25-23 Blue Bulls U19". South African Rugby Union. 24 October 2015. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
  13. ↑ "WP young guns, EP clinch junior titles". South African Rugby Union. 25 October 2015. Archived from the original on 11 April 2016. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
  14. ↑ "Southern Kings announce first signings" (Press release). South African Rugby Union. 13 December 2015. Archived from the original on 11 April 2016. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
  15. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – FNB NMMU MADIBAZ 46-33 FNB UCT IKEYS". South African Rugby Union. 21 March 2016. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
  16. ↑ "Kings facing player exodus?". Rugby365. 11 November 2015. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
  17. ↑ "2016 Eastern Province Kings Currie Cup qualification season". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
  18. ↑ "EP Kings team announced for SWD Eagles match". South African Rugby Union. 5 April 2016. Archived from the original on 7 April 2016. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
  19. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – EP Kings 14-37 SWD Eagles". South African Rugby Union. 9 April 2016. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
  20. ↑ "Large group invited to Junior Springbok trials camp" (Press release). South African Rugby Union. 24 March 2016. Archived from the original on 11 April 2016. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
  21. ↑ "Theron names provisional Junior Springbok squad" (Press release). South African Rugby Union. 1 April 2016. Archived from the original on 11 April 2016. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
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