Ex-mentor hails Pead after Junior Springbok Player of the Year Award

The Lions scrumhalf was named Junior Springbok Player of the Year at the SA Rugby Awards in Cape Town over the weekend. 

The award comes after Pead joined The Springboks for an alignment camp last week.

“Ja, look, there are reasons for losing a player, which in Haashim’s case we don’t mind because he was destined for something bigger and greater. For us, losing that type of player is amazing,” said Van As

“That’s what we stand for and that is one of our primary goals –  to take a club player into a provincial setup and then into a junior Bok and eventually into the United Rugby Championship.”

“For us, that’s why we are here. We don't want the sun to shine only over Wits University. One of our jobs is for us to get a player an agreement and make sure he advances in his playing career."

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The University mentor says that although he only had the privilege of working with the Bo-Kaap-born player for a year, he always knew Pead would go all the way, adding that his influence in the Wits camp was amazing despite his young age.

Van As says there haven’t been many players who have come through the Wits Varsity system and gone on to become prominent names in the professional ranks, other than Morne van der Berg  –  known as “Krappies” –  and now Haashim  Pead.