Captain's profile: Leonard Duvenhage

Prodigious Paul Roos captain Leonard Duvenhage has grown exponentially as a player and a leader during his two years as part of the first XV.  

Duvenhage has over the past two years transformed from standout loose forward to multi-skilled utility forward.

His evolution as a player was set in motion when he was converted into a lock at the beginning of last season, when he first ran out for Paul Roos’ first team.

At 1.91 metres tall, Duvenhage is a towering figure in schoolboy rugby and the move to lock was made in order to best utilise his height and size.

It’s a move that has demanded Duvenhage to play a tighter game than he was used to as a flanker, but it’s one that has made him a more complete player.  

“The move to lock has been good for me. It’s helped me a lot to develop as a player and to add a new dimension to my game,” he said.  

“Physically I’ve matured a lot. It’s given me a lot of confidence in the physical aspect of the game and it’s brought out an enforcer dynamic in me.”

Duvenhage weighed up offers from the Lions, Sharks and Cheetahs and after much thought, signed a two-year junior contract with the Lions.

He’ll study sport communication at the University of Johannesburg next year and said he’s relishing the opportunity, which will see him revert to his more accustomed loose forward role.

“I’ve been more than happy to play at lock these past two years but having said that, flank is my preferred position and the deal with the Lions is as a loose forward,” said Duvenhage.  

“It’s comforting to know that I can play in the back and second row and the experience I’ve gained over the past two years will be invaluable going forward." 

Before Duvenhage joins the Lions, however, he has one last objective as skipper of Paul Roos and that is to lead his school to victory over Grey College on Saturday.

Duvenhage, who took over the captaincy at the start of the year, said: “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed captaining the team this year. It’s been a great honour and a privilege. I’m privileged to have a lot of great leaders within the team so that makes my job a lot easier.”  

Duvenhage is one of a handful of survivors from the team that suffered a last-gasp defeat against their rivals last year. He hasn’t forgotten the heartache of 2011, and would like nothing more than to lead Paul Roos to their first triumph over Grey since 2009.

“It’s been a few years since we’ve beaten them but we showed when we beat Affies that we’re a top team and we owe it to ourselves and to the school to put in a great performance on Saturday,” he said.