Cape Town - When Salmaan Moerat was making his way through his primary school years, it was already clear that he had the makings of becoming a top rugby player.
Of course, he was the latest product of the proud Moerat rugby family, but he was making his presence felt on the pitch from the start.
“I always used to take him with me to the rugby field when I played, so he grew up in a rugby house and was always exposed to the game,” Salmaan’s father Nazeem told Independent Media following his son’s selection to the Springbok squad for the end-of-year tour to Europe.
“He started out at Al-Azhar Institute here in Paarl, but because he was so much bigger than the other children, he used to run over them and tackle them hard!
“They only played in age-group teams and weight categories at the time, so the other teams were always wary of Salmaan. But as he grew up, we were able to get him into Paarl Boys’ High (on a sports bursary), and he captained them and the SA Schools side.”
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Salmaan has had the distinction of captaining every team he has played for, at least since high school, from Paarl Boys’ through to SA Schools, SA Under-20 and now the Stormers.
At the age of 23, that’s an impressive CV, and one that is equipping him for the top job of Springbok captain in the future.
Moerat may have been a Springbok already by now if he hadn’t sustained a neck injury earlier this year, which ruled him out of the British and Irish Lions series, as well as the Rugby Championship.
The Boks arrived in France at the weekend for a week of training and 2023 Rugby World Cup marketing initiatives before heading to Cardiff, where they will take on Wales at the Principality Stadium on November 6, followed by Scotland (November 13) and England (November 20).
“Salmaan is a guy who has come through our structures. I was privileged enough to coach him at both SA Schools and SA Under-20 levels, and I think Salmaan has been unlucky in terms of injuries,” Bok coach Jacques Nienaber when he announced the tour squad.
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“He would’ve been 10-1 part of our group that went into the Lions series if he hadn’t been injured. So, it will be interesting to see whether Salmaan, if he gets the opportunity, is able to make that step up to international rugby.”
Moerat’s inclusion in the 32-man squad can be regarded as a moment where the famous Paarl rugby family have come full circle. Due to apartheid, his father Nazeem played for the non-racial South African Rugby Union (Saru) team, but was not eligible for the Springboks.
Neither were several of his siblings and cousins, many of whom received Saru and provincial colours for Boland and Western Province, while some also played under the Federation banner and were selected for the Proteas national side.
They all emerged from the revered Vineyards Rugby Club in Paarl, started by Moutie Moerat and his brother-in-law Esa Abrahams in 1944.
Some of the players from the past include Abbas Moerat and Na-aim Moerat, and then came Ebrahim Moerat, Ikraam Moerat, Marwaan Moerat, Achmat Moerat and Nazeem Moerat.
Before Salmaan, the latest Moerat who played at a high level was his cousin Ebrahim Moerat, a hooker, who was part of the South African Under-21 side at the 2003 Junior World Cup, coached by Jake White.
Some of the big names in that group included captain Schalk Burger, Fourie du Preez, Jaque Fourie, Andries Bekker, Derick Hougaard and Ricky Januarie, who all became Springboks.
“I was a flanker, and I played for the Saru team in 1984 and 1985. Some of my teammates were Peter Jooste, Aslam Toefy and Ronnie Korkee, while we once played against an Eastern Cape Invitational team that had Allister Coetzee, who was not yet in the Saru side, in their line-up,” Nazeem Moerat told Independent Media of his rugby days.
“Of course, I started at Vineyards Rugby Club here in Paarl, which is a family club, and I played with a lot of cousins. I played provincial rugby for Western Province, where I made the Saru team.
“I later went to Boland, and was able to be selected for the Saru team during that time as well.
“There were so many of my brothers and cousins who played with me at club and provincial level, and some for the Saru team. Ebrahim is my cousin’s son, so we were also very proud of him for being part of the SA Under-21 team.”
Now 59, Nazeem has had to wait a long time to see his son on the biggest stage in a democratic South Africa – where the playing fields are still not quite level, but certainly more equal than when he wore rugby boots in the 1980s – and he cannot wait for Salmaan to make his Springbok debut.
And the Stormers lock made his father wait even longer to hear about his selection. “I was just so happy. Salmaan didn’t say anything to me before the time. I just saw a newspaper article saying that he will be in the squad, but you are never too sure,” Nazeem said about discovering that his son was in the Bok squad.
“And when it happened, I was almost overwhelmed. He has worked hard to get to this point, and he has been playing good rugby, so it was great to see him get the reward.
“The whole family was just really happy for him. I haven’t stopped receiving calls and messages from family and friends, wishing him well.”
For Salmaan, making the Springbok squad for the first time is a moment that he will never forget.
“I now have the opportunity to be here, and it is very special for me and my family, so I would like to do as well as I can if I get the chance (to play) and to learn as much as possible,” Moerat said during a press conference from France this week.
“It has been really special (to be in the camp) and to join up with the guys. This is an ideal opportunity to get to know how they do things around here.
“I’ve been through the (SA Rugby Elite Player Development) system and have attended two training camps before, so I have seen what it takes to be in the national squad.
“For me personally, I would like to become a better player in the next three or four weeks, and to learn as much as possible
“If I get the opportunity (to play) or not, I plan to enjoy this occasion as much as possible, and take in as much as I can.
“As a group we are focusing on the next four weeks. We would like to play good rugby and get results, and that is where our attention lies.”
Nazeem went on to discuss some of Salmaan’s recent performances for the Stormers in the new United Rugby Championship, where he has not been shy to make his trademark physical presence felt with some big hits in defence.
“I thought Salmaan played well for the Stormers since coming back from his injury. But he was so unlucky with that yellow card (in the win over the Ospreys, for a supposed high tackle against flank Taine Basham) – that was never a high tackle! And he was told afterwards that he shouldn’t have got a yellow card,” Nazeem said.
“Even the first yellow card he got on tour (for taking out a player in the lineout against Munster), that was also not a yellow.
“He has always been a fairly quiet guy, but when he talks, you can hear he knows the game, and he is able to get his message across. He does his talking with his actions on the field – he likes to put in those big tackles!”
Nienaber said upon arrival in Europe at the weekend that he is likely to stick with the tried-and-tested combinations on tour, adding that “there won’t be surprises in the selection” in what could be seen as the start of the build-up to the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.
But the entire Paarl will hope that Moerat gets on to the field against either Wales, Scotland or England, where his enforcer-style approach could give first-choice No 4 Eben Etzebeth a breather – perhaps against Scotland at Murrayfield.
It would cap an unforgettable year for Salmaan, who also got married to Haanim Kader a few months ago.
His father Nazeem says he often tells Salmaan what he thinks of his performance, and is not scared to hold back when he feels he hasn’t done well either.
His advice for the tour? “I will just tell him to play his normal game. He mustn’t now feel because he is in the Springbok squad, he must change things. He must keep on playing hard and putting in those big tackles.
“I have said to him though that he should put in a few more carries. He has been carrying the ball more lately for the Stormers, but he must not forget his basics first – winning lineout ball, and tackling across the field.
“So, I just hope that he keeps on playing his game, and hopefully he will get a chance to play on tour.
“I will see what happens if he gets selected. It would be nice to be there, although I am with him in spirit. His mother Gayatunisa also deserves praise, and she is his biggest fan!”