Ethan Hooker is eyeing an August return. Photo: Backpagepix
Image: Backpagepix
Springbok utility back Ethan Hooker is set to make his comeback from injury in August, and could play a role against the All Blacks in the Greatest Rivalry tour.
The Sharks utility-back suffered a dislocated shoulder in a United Rugby Championship match against the Ospreys on April 18 after opposition wing Luke Morgan dived on him after he had scored a try. Mystifyingly, the match citing commissioner ruled no wrongdoing on the part of Morgan.
Hooker underwent surgery in Durban, and the prognosis is that he needs 10 weeks before he can play, ruling him out of July’s Nations Championship matches in South Africa against England, Scotland, and Wales.
With the 23-year-old’s injury being in the upper body, he will be able to run and cycle soon, meaning he should be aerobically fit for the 22 August first Test against New Zealand at Ellis Park, though he will have taken little contact.
Hooker, the SA Rugby Young Player of the Year for 2025, was seen in the stands at Kings Park last week watching the Sharks smash Benetton in a dead-rubber URC fixture. He would have been pleased with the performance of fellow Westville Boys’ High product, Zekethelu Siyaya, in the 18-year-old’s first game at fly-half.
Sharks fans in general would have had bitter-sweet emotions as their team delivered some exceptional rugby in a match that has almost no relevance — the Sharks’ two recent defeats overseas against the Ospreys and Edinburgh ruled them out of contention for the URC quarter-finals.
And the good feeling engendered by the 46-7 win would have been eroded three days later when the Bulls announced a raft of new signings, with most of them former and current Sharks players. In the latter category are highly promising youngsters Luan Giliomee, Mwanda Mdanda, and Hakeem Kunene.
Luan Giliomee of the Sharks. Photo: Backpagepix
Image: Backpagepix
Giliomee only recently enjoyed a strong debut for the Sharks (at full-back) to the excitement of Sharks fans, while Mdanda — a product of KZN school Maritzburg College — has a huge future ahead of him. Giliomee has also starred for the Blitzboks this season.
Prop forward Mdanda — like Giliomee — is a Junior Springbok, and at 132kg is a force to be reckoned with. Junior Bok Kunene has been targeted by the Bulls to take over from veteran Willie le Roux.
Also going to the Bulls are former Sharks in wing Thaakir Abrahams and fly-half Curwin Bosch. Abrahams is finishing up at Munster after two seasons in Limerick, while Bosch has been toughening up at French second-tier club Brive.
That is a whack of Sharks players past and present going to the Pretoria club, and Sharks fans will be wondering how some of those players slipped through the Kings Park net because Bulls coach Johan Ackermann clearly rated them.