Latest news with #BrokHarris
IOL News
22-07-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Western Province aims to reclaim Currie Cup glory without their top players
Brok Harris will be in the coaching box when WP face the Bulls in their Currie Cup opener on Saturday in Cape Town. Image: BackpagePix Western Province is dead-set on righting the wrongs of last season's Currie Cup as they look to establish a more settled squad throughout the tournament this year. Their senior United Rugby Championship (URC) players won't be involved in the competition as they start preparations for the new European season. Still, the Cape side will look for a settled squad that can take them far in the competition after limited success last year that had supporters in the Mother City worried. A marker will be laid on Saturday and the coaches will see exactly where the team is when they face the Bulls at the DHL Stadium in the Currie Cup opener. Plenty of hard work being put in in by the DHL WP coaches and their extended squad as we keep building towards the Carling Currie Cup. 🔵⚪️ #wpjoulekkerding — WP RUGBY (@WP_RUGBY) July 3, 2025 Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Forwards coach Brok Harris confirmed they will not have players going in and out of the team, while they've also tapped into the WP club rugby system to test some promising amateur players. Those players will be committed to WP for the duration of the competition. 'The club players we identified will be part of the entire campaign; it won't be a thing of in and out or a two-week kind of thing,' according to Harris. 'They've worked hard and have been pushing even for guys who don't have a contract. There is a possibility for them to play for contracts even. There is a lot at stake. We have the likes of Carlo van Greunen (a lock from Paarl), Brendan Venter and Erhard Lambrecht (both Helderberg), and De Wet Marais.' The Carling #CurrieCup wall of champions keeps changing. Four years. Four different winners. Who claims it in 2025?#WhereChampionsRise | #PremierRugbyRealPassion — The Carling Currie Cup (@TheCurrieCup) July 21, 2025 Harris added that they are bracing for a massive game against the Bulls. Of course, he will be in the coaching box this time, but he recalled his debut in the North-South derby back in 2006. 'You think inter-varsity is big, but then you get to the North-South derby in the Currie Cup, and you find you don't get bigger than that. It was next level. For these guys, it will be a great experience. 'It will be challenging playing against old Stormers like Nama Xaba (Bulls captain), Junior (Pokomela, flanker), Marvin (Orie, lock), and Lizo (Gqoboka, prop). There are a couple of them who have been in our environment. However, we can only control what we can and stick to what we've been training. 'We look forward to the challenge they will bring. This season, we will keep on fighting for the jersey, whatever comes our way. We will go out there and give it our best.'
IOL News
09-05-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Brok Harris bids Stormers farewell as URC playoff race heats up
Veteran prop Brok Harris retired after a stellar career with the Stormers that included winning the United Rugby Championship in its first season. Image: BackpagePix With two more round-robin matches remaining in the United Rugby Championship, the playoff picture will become clearer after this weekend's clashes in the tournament. For the South African sides, there will only be home matches and the opportunity to claim maximum points from them in front of fired-up home crowds. While the Bulls are the only side secured of a home playoff, the Sharks can seal theirs with a victory on Friday, while the Stormers can take one step closer to finishing in the top six should they win on Saturday. This could put them on a collision course with the Sharks for the playoffs. For now, though, the SA sides won't focus too far ahead, because of the imminent Welsh invasion this round. After some scrappy wins that also brought their fight to the fore, the Sharks owe Kings Park and their fan base a victory without the need to grab their heart pills. They burgled their way to some wins overseas, with the forwards and defence coming to their rescue. Now it's time for a team performance at home to give their fans some comfortable victories, starting with the Ospreys on Friday. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ The Bulls will be looking to fix minor errors in their game plan as they play a pivotal game against Cardiff in Pretoria. It's been a tough four-week tour for the Loftus Versfeld side, but the week break should have them refreshed for the challenge. Five points will keep the home side in the hunt for the second place on the overall URC log, but they need the Warriors to drop points in Benetton or Dublin in their final two matches. On Saturday we will say farewell to a DHL Stormers great. Join us for a special send-off before we face the only other team he ever played for @dragonsrfc 🎟️ Get your tickets here #iamastormer #brok — DHL Stormers (@THESTORMERS) May 7, 2025
News24
08-05-2025
- Sport
- News24
‘No regrets': Brok leaves Stormers and SA rugby as a legend
As he hobbled towards journalists at Cape Town Stadium on Wednesday for his last media appearance as a Stormers player, Brok Harris had a look of satisfaction in his eyes. No, he did not get to leave the game he loves on his own terms. The cruellest of injuries - a torn knee ligament picked up against Benetton two weekends ago - saw to that. READ | Sacha and Gaza: Same, same, but (very) different Harris, now 40 years old, heard the 'pop' and knew immediately that that was that. His professional playing career, spanning over 20 years, was over in an instant. 'I knew immediately when it happened. I just heard that popping sound. I'd never had a knee injury before, but I knew,' said Harris, recalling his last moments on a rugby field. 'It felt like jelly and very loose, and then the doc came to me and said they needed to take me off on the cart. 'There was no way. He kept persisting, but if this was my last game, I was walking off the field. As I started walking I felt this wobbly knee and wondered what I had done, but it was very emotional.' Now, 11 days later, Harris leans on his two crutches with a smile laced in acceptance, gratitude and an understanding that he has emptied his tank to the point where there was absolutely nothing - not a drop - left. 'I'm done,' he replied promptly when asked if there was even the slightest miraculous chance that he might play again. You only have to listen to Stormers coach John Dobson speak about Harris to know how impactful his contribution was in Cape Town. It is where it all started and now, after a legendary run at Wales' Dragons from 2014 to 2021, it is where the final curtain comes down. Poetically, this Saturday's United Rugby Championship (URC) clash sees the Stormers host the Dragons. It would have been the perfect farewell for Harris: one last time to pack down in the front row, playing both for and against the two teams that defined one of the modern stalwarts of the game. Instead, a guard of honour will be formed for Harris ahead of the 18:15 kick-off. It promises to be emotional and both clubs and the fans will surely combine to execute a fitting send-off that will honour the father of three. 'It was kids round [against Benetton] so I had received a letter from my daughter, and she wrote 'good luck for your last game' on it, so she actually saw into the future,' Harris laughed. 'It's been incredibly hard, but also nice. 'You always try to be the guy that people respect, and you try your best and be humble. 'All the messages and support probably give me that peace of mind in leaving the game on a positive note.' And that reaction to the slightly premature retirement tells the story of Juan 'Brok' Harris. Wherever he has gone, and particularly in the Western Province, he has been lauded as the hardest gentleman of the game. 'The last six months have been unbelievable,' he said of signing for the Stormers for one more season, almost against all logical odds, at the start of the current URC campaign. 'There was no pressure... I knew it was my last season. I could just fully enjoy myself and still train hard - that was the tough part - but I enjoyed it fully and the last run was very special.' Harris has no regrets over how it all ended. There is no bitterness and no longing for something more. 'In the broader picture, I'm really grateful that I never had a lot of injuries. I have no regrets,' he said. 'I remember at one stage being on 93 [Stormers] caps and telling myself 'Just seven more' for a hundred. Now I think it stands on around 170, so I feel very blessed and backed. 'The last four years were incredible. I didn't have to prove anything to anyone. I could just go out there and enjoy myself and play rugby with some good men.' When asked what he would consider the highlights of his career, Harris was quick to respond: 'All of it.' 'I remember my first Super Rugby tour was five weeks long. I've experienced the best of north and south with Super Rugby and the URC, a URC trophy, a Currie Cup trophy,' he said. 'That first Currie Cup in the Shark tank (Durban, 2012) was unbelievable. 'Orlando (Super Rugby final, 2010) was also a high point and a low point - so close, yet so far. 'The people you meet along the way and the memories you make are incredible.' As they say, when one door closes, another - or a window - opens. And Harris will now turn his attention to coaching the next generation. 'I'm staying in rugby, so that is one positive,' he said. 'Giving back is very important for me. I've always wanted to go into coaching since I went to university. 'I'm a loyal man, so ideally, it would be at the Stormers or Springboks, but the key thing is to just try to give my knowledge to the guys that are younger than me.'
IOL News
08-05-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Stormers legend Brok Harris retires with 'a happy heart and no regrets' after horror knee injury
Brok Harris suffered a career ending injury while playing for the Stormers recently. Photo: Backpagepix Image: Backpagepix The moment Brok Harris went down with a knee injury in his team's United Rugby Championship clash against Benetton, he knew his career of almost 500 matches had come to an end. The 40-year-old Stormers legend said a 'popping noise' from his knee signalled the final whistle, but as untimely as the injury may have been, he retires with a happy heart. 'When it happened, I knew immediately it was very serious,' the jovial prop said. 'I heard the popping sound — the knee felt like jelly and was very loose. The doctor said, 'Let's put you on the cart,' but I knew it was all over for me as a player, and I was determined to walk off the field. 'I said, 'No, doc, if this is my last action as a player after all these years, I'm walking off the field.' As I started walking, I thought, 'What am I doing?' But I stuck it out and walked off with my head held high and satisfaction in my heart.' Harris added that he might have tempted fate recently when he joked with teammates about never having suffered a knee injury. 'I said I'd never had knee injuries. I was very lucky. I'd had issues with ankles and shoulders, so to finish with a knee was bizarre. 'But in the bigger picture, I'm privileged not to have had too many injuries, and I'm thankful for this long career — I have no regrets,' he said. 'The last six months or so have been unbelievable as a player/coach. There was no pressure on me to sign for another season because I knew it would be my last,' Harris explained. 'The only tough part was getting up for double training sessions — the playing was the easy part! 'It has been very special,' he continued. 'I hadn't expected to play much and thought I'd be coaching more, but with Steven Kitshoff having to retire and Frans [Malherbe] going down, they needed me.' Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading Some powerful words from Damian Willemse ahead of his 100th DHL Stormers game on what it means to him to play for this team and represent our supporters. #iamastormer — DHL Stormers (@THESTORMERS) May 7, 2025
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ex Dragon Harris denied 'fitting' send off
Brok Harris made 143 appearances for the Dragons [Huw Evans Picture Agency] Former Dragons prop Brok Harris has been denied a "fitting" end to his rugby career by not playing against the Welsh side for Stormers, according to forward Rhodri Jones. After 435 professional games, Harris, 40, has called time on a 20-year professional career - which included a seven-year spell at the Dragons. But the South African will not face his former side in the United Rugby Championship in Cape Town on Saturday because of a knee injury he picked up during the Stormers' 56-5 win against Benetton. "A lot of the boys who played with and worked with him speak very highly of him," said Wales front-rower Jones. "For him to do it so long is fantastic, so fair play to him. He's come to an end now but he's had a wonderful career. "It's a shame [he won't be playing], he's been a legend with Stormers and the Dragons. It would've been fitting for him to finish in this game but that is rugby sometimes isn't it? "It still doesn't change his wonderful career and I'm sure it'll be a great occasion on Saturday." A special presentation in tribute to Harris will take place after the match in Cape Town - something that Dragons head coach Filo Tiatia says will be enjoyed by some of his former team-mates. "I've only watched Brok on the box and he's been a servant for the Dragons for many years. A really reliable and robust player and fans love him," said Tiatia. "Most of the players who've rubbed shoulder to shoulder with him on the grass are looking forward to seeing him and there's a nice little presentation that will go ahead post-game." Dragons will be without Wales internationals Matthew Screech and Elliot Dee for the game in Cape Town. Lock Screech has been stood down by the Dragons' medical team after sustaining multiple knocks, while hooker Dee has not travelled to South Africa in order to be with his pregnant wife.
