Barend Potgieter

Potgieter was born in Pretoria, South Africa, where he attended Hoërskool Zwartkop, but he never represented his local provincial union, the Blue Bulls, at national tournaments at schoolboy level. He moved to Durban prior to the 2013 season to join the Sharks Academy. He started all thirteen matches for the Sharks U19 team in the 2013 Under-19 Provincial Championship as a flanker. He scored four tries – in home matches against Free State U19,[2] Blue Bulls U19[3] and Border U19[4] and one try on his return to his hometown of Pretoria against the Blue Bulls[5] – as the Sharks finished in third position on the log[6] before losing to 25–27 to the Golden Lions U19s in Johannesburg.[7]

Potgieter progressed to the Sharks' Under-21 side for the 2014 Under-21 Provincial Championship. After starting two of their matches as a flanker, he moved to loosehead prop for the remainder of the competition, making a further seven starts. He scored tries in matches against Border U21 (away),[8] Free State U21[9] and Border (home)[10] as the Sharks finished in fifth position, failing to qualify for the semi-finals.[11]

Potgieter made his first class debut in April 2015 as he started the Sharks XV's match against the Free State XV in Round Three of their 2015 Vodacom Cup match in Kokstad.[12] In his second match – against the Boland Cavaliers in Empangeni a fortnight later – Potgieter scored his first senior try shortly before half-time, and followed that up with a second try ten minutes into the second half in a 52–12 victory for his side.[13] He made two more starts – against Griquas[14] and the Eastern Province Kings[15] – during the regular season as the Sharks XV missed out on the quarter finals after finishing sixth in the Southern Section.[16]

Potgieter made six starts and six appearances off the bench for the Sharks U21 team in the 2015 Under-21 Provincial Championship as he and Mzamo Majola alternated the spot in the starting lineup throughout the competition. He scored tries in matches against Golden Lions U21[17] and Leopards U21[18] to help his side finish third[19] before losing to the Free State U21s in the semi-final.[20]

Potgieter again played first class rugby for the Sharks XV in 2016, but made just four appearances – all of those from the bench – in the 2016 Currie Cup qualification series.

In August 2016, Potgieter was among a number of players included in a hastily assembled Eastern Province Kings squad; the team was liquidated the day before the 2016 Currie Cup Premier Division started, but quickly reformed and contracted a number of players that didn't feature in other teams' plans for the season.[21] Potgieter didn't feature in their first match, but was named on the bench in their next match against the Blue Bulls. He made his debut in the Currie Cup Premier Division in his hometown, coming on as a replacement in the 52nd minute of the match.[22] After another appearance off the bench against Western Province,[23] he made his first start in their 24–47 defeat to Griquas in Kimberley.[24] He reverted to the bench for their match against the Free State Cheetahs,[25] but started against both the Sharks[26] and their final match of the season against the Pumas.[27] With their limited preparation time, it proved to be a difficult season for the Eastern Province Kings and they finished bottom of the log, losing all eight of their matches.[28]