Ladysmith lad plays for the Sharks
Local lad Fred Zeilinga takes the rugby world by storm, playing flyhalf for the Sharks XV
Originally from our little town, Frederik Johannes Zeilinga now has an illustrious sporting career, playing for the Sharks as flyhalf. Born in Ladysmith on December 11, 1992, Fred has always been involved in rugby and his talent has been evident from the word go.
He won the title of ‘Best Player’ of the under nine team in 2001 and played at the KwaZulu-Natal Under 13 Coca-Cola Craven Week in 2005 when he was head boy at Monument Primary School. It was at the 2005 Natal Craven Week capping ceremony that he first met now teammate Butch James.
His talent was immediately noticed and the following year he was attending Glenwood High on a rugby scholarship. He played in the under 16 Elite squad in 2008 and for the KZN Under 18 Coca-Cola Craven Week squad in 2009, joining the Sharks in the ABSA Under 19 Competition in 2009.
He has since played in the Vodacom Cup and Vodacom Super Rugby, and is currently in the Absa Currie Cup Premier Division. He made his debut for the Vodacom Sharks XV in 2011, while also representing the Sharks under 21 side for two years.
He has appeared in magazines such as SA Rugby, in which he featured in a ‘Jake White’s Future Stars’ article (February 2010). The same year, he made an appearance in School Sports in June when he was the first team rugby captain at Glenwood. He also appeared in the Sharks magazine in May this year as a ‘Surfacing Shark’. “My family has really been great, and family support and encouragement has always been a great motivating factor for me,” he explains.
