Embrose Papier

Summary

Embrose Cheldon Papier (born 25 April 1997) is a South African professional rugby union player for the Bulls in the United Rugby Championship and the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup.[1] His regular position is scrum-half.

Embrose Papier
Full nameEmbrose Cheldon Papier
Date of birth (1997-04-25) 25 April 1997 (age 26)
Place of birthClanwilliam, South Africa
Height1.71 m (5 ft 7+12 in)
Weight80 kg (12 st 8 lb; 176 lb)
SchoolHoërskool Garsfontein
UniversityUniversity of Pretoria
Rugby union career
Position(s) Scrum-half
Current team Bulls / Blue Bulls
Youth career
2010 Boland Cavaliers
2013–2018 Blue Bulls
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2018–present Bulls 52 (30)
2018–2019 Blue Bulls XV 4 (15)
2018–present Blue Bulls 15 (20)
2019–2020 Sale Sharks 11 (0)
Correct as of 23 July 2022
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2014–2015 South Africa U18 6 (15)
2016–2017 South Africa U20 6 (10)
2018–present South Africa 7 (0)
Correct as of 21 July 2019

Rugby career edit

2010–2015: Schoolboy rugby edit

Papier was born in Clanwilliam in the Western Cape. As early as primary school level, he earned provincial colours by representing the Boland Cavaliers at the 2010 Under-13 Craven Week tournament held in Graaff-Reinet.[2]

In 2011, he enrolled at Hoerskool Swartland, which is the Alma mater of current Springbok and 2019 World Rugby player of the Year, Pieter-Steph Du Toit. In 2013, he then moved to Pretoria, where he enrolled at Hoërskool Garsfontein. In 2013, he represented the Blue Bulls at the Under-16 Grant Khomo Week held in Vanderbijlpark,[3] starting all three of their matches and scoring a try in their match against Eastern Province.[4]

In 2014, despite still being in the Under-17 age bracket, he was included in the Blue Bulls squad for the Under-18 Craven Week, South Africa's premier rugby union tournament at high school level.[5] He started all three matches at the tournament held in Middelburg, scoring a try in their 36–15 victory over KwaZulu-Natal.[6] After the tournament, he was included in a South Africa Schools team that hosted the Under-18 International Series against their counterparts from France, Wales and England.[7] Papier played off the bench in their 28–13 victory over France in their opening match,[8] but was promoted to the starting line-up for their second match against Wales, scoring a try in their 40–15 victory.[9] He was again used as a replacement for their final match against England, but could not prevent South Africa suffering a 22–30 defeat.[10]

Papier had a similar season in 2015; he started all three of the Blue Bulls' matches at the Craven Week in Stellenbosch, scoring a try in their 40–12 victory over his home province Boland.[11] He was once again included in the South Africa Schools squad,[12] this time starting all three of their matches and also being named the vice-captain of the team. He scored a try in their 42–11 victory over Wales,[13] and – after a 12–5 victory over France in their second match[14] – scored another in their 23–16 win over England to avenge their 2014 defeat.[15]

2016–2018: Youth rugby edit

After high school, Papier joined the Blue Bulls' academy for the 2016 season. Despite not being included in an initial South Africa Under-20 training squad,[16] or a reduced provisional squad named a week later,[17] Papier was included in the final South Africa Under-20 squad for the 2016 World Rugby Under 20 Championship tournament to be held in Manchester in England.[18] He started their opening match in Pool C of the tournament on the bench, appearing for the final eight minutes as South Africa came from behind to beat Japan 59–19.[19] He did not feature in their second pool match, a 13–19 defeat to Argentina,[20] but started their final match, scoring South Africa's first try in the match as they bounced back to secure a 40-31 bonus-point victory over France.[21] The result meant South Africa secured a semi-final place as the best runner-up in the competition, but Papier suffered an ankle injury during a training session, which ended his involvement in the tournament.[22] South Africa faced three-time champions England in their semi-final match, but the hosts proved too strong for them, knocking them out of the competition with a 39–17 victory,[23] and they also lost the third-place play-off match against Argentina, as the South American side beat South Africa for the second time in the tournament, convincingly winning 49–19[24] to condemn South Africa to fourth place in the competition.

Papier recovered from his injury towards the end of the 2016 Under-19 Provincial Championship, starting the Blue Bulls' final two matches of the regular season. He scored a try in the first of those, a 62–7 victory over Leopards U19,[25] before he helped the Blue Bulls secure second place on the log[26] with a 50–30 victory over Western Province U19.[27] He also started their semi-final match against Golden Lions U19, but a 34–24 victory for the team from Johannesburg ended the Blue Bulls' participation in the competition.[28]

In November 2016, Papier was named in the Bulls Super Rugby team's extended training squad during the team's preparations for the 2017 Super Rugby season.[29]

2019-2020: Sale Sharks edit

In September 2019, Papier joined Premiership rugby union side Sale Sharks on a three-month loan deal as Rugby World Cup cover for compatriot Faf de Klerk.[30]

Honours edit

  • Super Rugby Unlocked winner 2020
  • Currie Cup winner 2020–21
  • United Rugby Championship runner-up 2021-22
  • Vodacom Bulls Currie Cup Player of the Year 2023

References edit

  1. ^ "SA Rugby Player Profile – Embrose Papier". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  2. ^ "SA Rugby Squad – Boland : 2010 U13 Craven Week". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  3. ^ "SA Rugby Squad – Blue Bulls : 2013 U16 Grant Khomo Week". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  4. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Blue Bulls 30–26 Eastern Province". South African Rugby Union. 1 July 2013. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  5. ^ "SA Rugby Squad – Blue Bulls : 2014 U18 Craven Week". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  6. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – KwaZulu-Natal 15–36 Blue Bulls". South African Rugby Union. 19 July 2014. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  7. ^ "SA Rugby Squad – SA Schools : 2014 SA Schools 2014". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  8. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – SA Schools 28–13 France U18". South African Rugby Union. 15 August 2014. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  9. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – SA Schools 40–15 Wales U18". South African Rugby Union. 19 August 2014. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  10. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – SA Schools 22–30 England U18". South African Rugby Union. 23 August 2014. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  11. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Blue Bulls U18 40–12 Boland U18". South African Rugby Union. 18 July 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  12. ^ "SA Rugby Squad – South Africa U18 : 2015 SA Schools 2015". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  13. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa U18 42–11 Wales U18". South African Rugby Union. 7 August 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  14. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa U18 12–5 France U18". South African Rugby Union. 11 August 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  15. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa U18 23–16 England U18". South African Rugby Union. 15 August 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  16. ^ "Large group invited to Junior Springbok trials camp". South African Rugby Union. 24 March 2016. Archived from the original on 31 May 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  17. ^ "Theron names provisional Junior Springbok squad". South African Rugby Union. 1 April 2016. Archived from the original on 31 May 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  18. ^ "Ward to lead Junior Springboks in England". South African Rugby Union. 10 May 2016. Archived from the original on 31 May 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  19. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa U20 59–19 Japan U20". South African Rugby Union. 7 June 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  20. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa U20 13–19 Argentina U20". South African Rugby Union. 11 June 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  21. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa U20 40–31 France U20". South African Rugby Union. 15 June 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  22. ^ "Injury blows for Junior Boks". IOL Sport. 20 June 2016. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  23. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – England U20 39–17 South Africa U20". South African Rugby Union. 20 June 2016. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  24. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Argentina U20 49–19 South Africa U20". South African Rugby Union. 25 June 2016. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  25. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Leopards U19 7–62 Blue Bulls U19". South African Rugby Union. 10 September 2016. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  26. ^ "SA Rugby Log – 2016 SA Rugby U19 Provincial Champs". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  27. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – WP U19 30–50 Blue Bulls U19". South African Rugby Union. 23 September 2016. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  28. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Blue Bulls U19 24–34 Golden Lions U19". South African Rugby Union. 15 October 2016. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  29. ^ "Pollard to return to training next month" (Press release). Bulls. 18 November 2016. Archived from the original on 26 November 2016. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
  30. ^ "Embrose Papier: Sale sign South Africa scrum-half as World Cup cover". BBC. 17 September 2019. Retrieved 19 September 2019.

External links edit

  • Embrose Papier at Springboks.rugby  
  • Embrose Papier at ESPNscrum 
  • Embrose Papier at ItsRugby.co.uk