The Old Diocesan Issue 12 - Magazine - Page 107
Cole Cruickshank (2015G) serving
as the official team photographer.
(Cole is a part of the successful WP
Premier IPT golf team; he won the
Durbanville Open and Strand Open
in February 2026.) The Stormers
were knocked out of the 2024/25
URC in the quarterfinals, but started
the 2025/26 iteration well and will
be aiming for a home quarterfinal.
ODs in the playing squad include
Sacha, Connor Evans (2020W),
Imad Khan (2021S), Jonathan
Roche (2021M), Oli Kebble (2009S)
and Suleiman Hartzenberg (2021S).
In May, Suleiman earned his 50th
franchise cap – an incredible
achievement at the age of 21.
In a European Cup match in
December, the Stormers team
that played La Rochelle included
five ODs, with a sixth, Dillyn Leyds
(2010S), turning out for the French
side. Dillyn is in his sixth year of
playing Top 14 and European Cup
rugby for La Rochelle. Nizaam Carr
(2009M) continues to don the light
blue of the Bulls in both the URC
and European Cup. He was joined
in the Bulls setup in late 2024 by
Cornel Smit (2015W), who then
moved to Wales in 2025 to play
for Cardiff.
Further afield, Tim Swiel (2011F)
signed with the Chicago Hounds
for the 2025 Major League Rugby
season, while Johnny Kotze (2011S)
continues his rugby career in Japan
with the Shimizu Koto Blue Sharks.
Following his involvement
with the Bishops First XV, Wes
Chetty (2006O) joined the Western
Province youth setup for the
U19 Currie Cup as head coach,
alongside Andrew Lanning (1989S)
as scrum consultant. Alex Smith
(2024M), Lucca Mynhardt (2024F)
and Gareth Mckinon (2024M) were
all part of the team that reached
the 2025 final.
On the cricket field, Adrian
Holdstock (1988O), a member
of the Elite Panel of ICC Umpires,
has continued to officiate at the
highest level of the international
game, including the ICC Men’s
T20 World Cup, where he served
as fourth umpire for the 2026 final.
Jono Bird (2019G) represented
Western Province admirably in
2025, before heading to the UK
during our winter to play for
Avebury Cricket Club. He enjoyed
a prolific run-scoring spell overseas,
notching up a top score of 193. He
then joined Kashief Joseph (2024F)
in the Western Province four-day
side, with the pair opening the
batting together in November.
At U19 level, Adnaan Lagadien
(2025F) and Michael Kruiskamp
(current matric, G) represented
South Africa at the 2026 ICC
Under-19 Cricket World Cup
in Namibia and Zimbabwe.
PHOTOGRAPH GALLO IMAGES
STOP PRESS! WE HAVE A WORLD CHAMPION
The night before this issue was
due to go to print, the 2025/26
HSBC World Sevens series came
to an extraordinary conclusion
in New York, with Tristan Leyds
(2015S) playing a pivotal role
in the outcome.
Over the course of the first five
tournaments, Fiji and South Africa
had battled it out for top spot, and
following the Blitzboks’ victory in
Vancouver the previous weekend,
the teams entered the tournament
tied on 86 log points. Fiji held first
place due to a superior points
differential of just 2.
The two teams seemed destined
to meet in the final to contest both
the New York and world titles –
and it proved to be a gripping
climax, genuine heart-attack stuff
for those of us watching at 11pm
Tristan Leyds scores the championshipwinning try in the Sevens final in New York.
on a Sunday back home. With the
Blitzboks leading 10-7 in the final
minutes, it took gut-busting defence
of the highest order to stave off
waves of Fijian attack. Eventually,
a knock-on mere metres from our
line sealed South Africa’s first
world title since 2021.
Tristan was a standout performer
throughout the series in general,
and in the final in particular. In
Vancouver, he was Player of the
Final – and in New York he scored
South Africa’s decisive second try.
Congratulations to him and the
rest of the team.
THE OLD DIOCESAN | 103
