Viral Boland club rugby sensation Lleyton Davids is set to trade the blue and white hoops of Robertson Town for those of the Stormers, having been named in John Dobson’s squad for Friday’s pre-season friendly against the Bulls in Paarl.
The 24-year-old speedster, who turns 25 on Saturday, has taken social media by storm with videos of his electric pace in Boland club rugby, leaving defenders for dead with his breathtaking acceleration.
His blistering try-scoring form earned him an invitation to train with the Stormers in Cape Town over the past few weeks, culminating in his inclusion in last week’s high-intensity pre-season camp in Hermanus.
Davids’ inclusion comes at an ideal time for the Stormers, who have been actively searching for added speed on the wings ahead of the upcoming United Rugby Championship campaign.
An elite athlete, Davids is a three-time national champion in the triple jump and an accomplished long jumper. He boasts a personal best effort of 16.92m in the triple jump and 8.08m in the long jump. Furthermore, his personal best over 100 metres hovers near the 10.00-second mark — famously going viral after clocking an incredible 10.40s while running completely barefoot during a track meeting in Dubai.
His combination of tall, fluid stride mechanics and athletic background has drawn comparisons to United States Sevens icon Perry Baker, another former track-and-field star who successfully made the transition to rugby.
Davids hails from the small town of Bonnievale (around 185km from Cape Town), where he still resides with his mother, Brumilda, who represented Boland in volleyball and also achieved regional colours for netball and athletics.
When he is not tearing up opposition defences on the rugby field or soaring through the air on the track, Davids works locally for his municipality as a Civil General Assistant in the water department.
Friday’s clash against the Bulls represents a massive step up from Boland club rugby to the professional United Rugby Championship stage, but Davids’ coach at Robertson Town, John Booysen, says he has the raw tools and lethal finishing ability to offer the Stormers an X-factor option on the wing.
“He is a natural athlete, an international long and triple jumper who loves to train and work hard,” Booysen told IOL Sport. “As we say here, he is so fast, it looks like he runs above the grass. He has scored some magical tries for us and has that ability to run himself out of trouble. He also has a big left boot and can kick the ball a mile.
“He is a rough diamond who can really make a name for himself. We’re quite excited for the world to see his talents.”
Booysen added that while they have worked hard to develop his core skills as a winger, what he possesses in abundance cannot be coached.
“He can score from anywhere; he’s got that X-factor,” Booysen added. “He is a quiet guy, but he can stand his ground with the big boys and lets his skill and pace do the talking. For such a tall guy, he has great acceleration and is even faster when he hits top gear. He can be a real handful when he gets going on a rugby field.”
