Development
South Africa Rugby Tour
Every year, a select group of six to ten young players between the ages of 18 and 25 head out on an intensive rugby placement. These are our rising stars, the players with the potential and the drive to take their game to the next level. For six weeks, they train in Stellenbosch at a level of intensity you simply won't find anywhere in the Netherlands. They come back completely transformed as rugby players. So, if you join Ascrum and you have the ambition and the talent, that path is wide open for you. This isn't just a vague promise; it's a proud tradition we bring to life year after year.
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Stellenbosch, South Africa
Ascrum in Stellenbosch
Ascrum has something no other rugby club in the Netherlands can offer: a direct connection to the absolute pinnacle of world rugby. Every year, we send our most promising players on a six-week training scheme to Stellenbosch, where they train alongside Western Province and the Stormers. This is no holiday or tourist trip. It is rugby at the very highest level, and it has been a proud tradition for decades.
A bond forged before the big money
Rugby only became a professional sport in the mid-nineties. The bonds between Ascrum and Western Province were already strong back then, and they remain just as solid today. That is what makes it so special. We did not jump on the bandwagon when it became commercially lucrative; we were already there. While the rugby world around us transformed into a multi-million-pound industry, this connection simply endured.
Over all these years, Ascrum has remained a relatively small club. Meanwhile, Western Province and the Stormers grew into one of the strongest rugby powerhouses on earth. Yet, that door remains wide open to our players. It is something we never take for granted, and it is exactly what we are so proud of.
Understanding Western Province and the Stormers
For those who might not know: Western Province holds the record with 34 Currie Cup titles in the oldest provincial rugby competition in the world. The Stormers, the professional franchise based in Cape Town, won the inaugural United Rugby Championship in 2022 and compete at the highest level against the top Irish, Scottish, Welsh and Italian sides.
And the players who come from there are household names. Over the years, some of the legendary Springboks have worn the colours of Western Province and the Stormers, including Siya Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth, Cheslin Kolbe, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Bryan Habana, and today's rising star Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (who was coached on his kicking last year by our very own Jan Leemans). World champions, Lions-slayers, players who have written rugby history. And our prospects train on that exact same pitch.
Reserved for our top talent
Let’s be honest: this is not for everyone. Every year, a select squad of six to ten young players aged between 18 and 25 head out on this training scheme. These are our rising stars, the players with the drive and ability to take the next step. For six weeks in Stellenbosch, they train at an intensity you simply will not find anywhere in the Netherlands. They return as completely transformed rugby players.
So if you join Ascrum and you have the ambition and the raw talent, this pathway is open to you. Not just as a vague promise, but as a tradition we deliver on year after year.
Unique in the rugby world
No other student club in the Netherlands has anything like this. In truth, there are very few clubs of our size anywhere in the world with such a direct line to the elite tier of the game. That is not marketing spin. It is simply who we are at Ascrum.
Van IJzer.