WHEN Edwill van der Merwe one day looks back on his rugby career, he might admit to himself that his greatest achievement was not playing for the Lions, or donning the Green and Gold of the Springboks, nor touring the world to play on the grandest of stages, but rather converting his grandfather from an All Blacks supporter to a South African one.
Van der Merwe received his international call-up earlier this year, receiving his first and so far only Test cap against Wales at Twickenham in a 41-13 victory.
Had it not been for an unfortunate injury, the 28-year-old might have had a few more Bok matches under his wing, to speak in puns.
“I had the privilege of calling my parents and my grandma to let them know I am selected to play for the team. All of us had a good cry ...”
Although Van der Merwe’s grandfather might have, once upon a time, supported the Boks’ greatest of foes, the Lions man has only dabbled in such experimentation.
“Even as a youngster,” the wing said earlier this week, “when I watched the Boks against the All Blacks, I always envisioned myself as facing the haka.
“There was a brief period in primary school when I was kind of an All Black supporter, but just because I wanted to be different to my classmates,” he continued with a chuckle.
“I have supported the Springboks ever since then and it is great for me to convert my grandpa to a Springbok. There are still a few in my family that I haven't quite switched allegiance to, but hopefully, as I play more for the Springboks, they will switch, too.”
Van der Merwe’s rise to international status has been a long road with many stops. He was initially not in any of the Bok alignment camps held at the start of the year, and his selection might have come as a surprise to some, especially those who have not followed him closely at the Lions in recent seasons.
There, he has been a consistent force, working hard at every opportunity, scoring tries and being the consummate team player.
He has worked himself through the ranks of SA rugby as a schools player at Paul Roos, into the Varsity Cup, the Junior Boks, Currie Cup, SuperRugby and the United Rugby Championship (URC), so when the call finally came that he would become a Bok, you bet it was an emotional moment, before the realisation of the macro impact became clear.
“Before we even get to putting on the jersey,” the Kylemore, Western Cape-born Van der Merwe revealed, “I had the privilege of calling my parents and my grandma to let them know I am selected to play for the team.
“All of us had a good cry. It was quite special. It is not just my dream, it is a dream that I have carried for so many people around me, for people in my community.
“When I played my first game for the Springboks, it was so special. I had my area code, which is 7608 (on his wrist), and it is so special for me to represent not just myself but also my community.
“I haven't been home but I know people are eager to see me,” he added.
“It is quite special because my biggest reason why I play rugby is to provide hope for my community.
“Speaking to my parents, my mom says they are asking when I am coming home. I don't get to go home that often but I think people are excited to see me. I will definitely make a plan to go because I think it is important to give back to my community.”
Now recovering from an ankle injury picked up in July, playing for the Lions, Van der Merwe is hoping to return to action at the end of September for the start of the new URC season.
His journey to this point has ensured that he has taken this latest setback in a pragmatic fashion, as he looks to work him way back to fitness and another opportunity to play for the word champions.
“It is disappointing,” he said of his injury, “but I have been disappointed a few times in my life to know how to pick myself up. It’s part of being a professional rugby player. The biggest thing is how you pick yourself up and go again.”
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The Lions start their URC campaign against the Sharks in Durban in just less than a month’s time, and while Van der Merwe hopes to be ready for that game – he saw a specialist earlier this week to clarify his progress – he also realises that he must give back to the union, too.
Along with Ruan Venter, Morne van den Berg and Quan Horn, the Lions can now boast four active Boks on their team sheet – an important development that will encourage the Johannesburg-based outfit in the coming weeks.
Said Van der Merwe: “The No 1 thing is that it will probably inspire our teammates more to know that the Bok coaches are looking at the Lions.
“I think for a long time there might have been a perception where they are not really looking at the Lions and now from that group there are five (including Sanele Nohamba) guys that came through this season, which is quite special.
“There is a big responsibility on us as players to take what we learnt as Springboks back to the LIons and help the guys achieve their dream of playing for the Springboks. We need to help uplift them, support them and achieve that dream.”
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Van der Merwe will be in the stands in the coming weeks while the Boks face the All Blacks in back-to-back Rugby Championship clashes at Ellis Park and Cape Town Stadium. They will then play Argentina home and away.
He might not be eligible to play in those matches, but there is no doubt that he will be working towards capturing that feeling and honour again.
“It was an incredibly special moment, one that I dreamt about my whole life. I have seen it so may times in my mind and when it actually came, I couldn’t believe it.”