Thaakir Abrahams has been compared to Springbok ace Cheslin Kolbe and justifiably so, as this relatively small operator, who had to overcome visual impairment as a child, has been making inroads on the big stage. Now he’s aiming to make a big impact with Munster.
Ireland witnessed the sensational skill and speed of Bok strikers like Kolbe and Kurt-Lee Arendse during the opening test of this year’s summer series at Loftus Versfeld in July. These pocket rockets seem to be jetting off the South African production line so fast that all the terrific talent can’t be accommodated locally.
One surplus speedster is 25-year-old Abrahams, who signed with Munster for the United Rugby Championship campaign about to kick off.
A Junior Springbok representative in 2019, Abrahams is eager to flaunt his fleet-footed flair in the Munster red.
“I’m delighted to have finally arrived at Thomond Park,” says Abrahams, who debuted in preseason against Gloucester, having recently transferred from Lyon, France, where he was based for the past year.
“Gaining entry into Ireland is challenging for South African citizens, but my visa finally arrived and I can now get stuck into the preseason work with Munster.”
Despite limited playing opportunities in France, Abrahams seized the opportunities that did come his way to run in five tries in four Champions Cup matches for Lyon, including braces against both the Bulls and Connacht, which ranked him joint second on the try-scorer table.
“Scoring twice against the Bulls was special, especially since I had some family over from South Africa, which was important for me.
“The Champions Cup is a big deal as you are also competing with teams from the United Rugby Championship and the Premiership, not only the Top 14. It challenges one to step up.
“I just tried to express myself in the games I played.”
The French connection also served as a learning curve for Abrahams, who is equally at home on the wing and fullback. Defence, in particular, has been a domain of his game that in the past elicited criticism.
“Coming from South Africa, there have been new learnings,” he admits. “For starters, the style of play is somewhat different, but I loved it. I like the continuity of play and the counter-attacking suited me.
“Naturally, there are always aspects of one’s play that you need to improve, and in my case it was defence, as well as my kicking game. Being smaller in stature, my defence needs to be on point.
“Scanning, in general, is also something that I worked on; to see where the space is and to put people into that space.
“From a lifestyle perspective, learning the French language and communicating with the local people was quite challenging at first, but I enjoyed it.”
Abrahams hails from the picturesque Paarl Valley in the Western Cape, where he was born on January 10th, 1999, basically with a rugby ball in his hands.
“I come from a big rugby family and grew up watching my cousins play for the Vineyards Rugby Club at Dal Josaphat Stadium in Paarl,” he says.
“I also started playing from a young age at Drakenstein Primary School.”
However, young Abrahams initially struggled with the game due to a serious visual impairment.
“I wasn’t totally blind, but I battled,” he says. “I had to wear thick glasses and when I took them off to play rugby, I could hardly see anything.”
“It was only after I’d received contact lenses, in Grade 3, that I started playing proper rugby.
Abrahams also kept a close eye on Springboks Bryan Habana and JP Pietersen, his childhood heroes, as “they were the guys who caught the high balls, had pace and scored tries ...”
With his newfound vision, the youngster’s rugby excelled. He represented Western Province at the Under-13 Craven Week and attended the famous Paarl Boys High School.
“For me, coming from a small primary school like Drakenstein, which had barely 200 pupils, Boys High required quite an adjustment. However, I enjoyed my time there and the rugby was great.
“We had top coaches like Sean Erasmus, my First XV coach in Grades 11 and 12. He saw the potential and believed in me.”
Abrahams realised this potential by captaining the Boys High First XV and representing WP at the Under-18 Academy and Craven Weeks respectively.
In 2019 he gained selection for the Junior Springboks, scoring two tries in the bronze-medal victory over hosts Argentina during the World Rugby Under-20 Championship.
The Sharks identified his promise, made Abrahams an offer and he swiftly established himself as a star in the domestic Currie Cup competition. This prompted the comparison with Kolbe. Even Sean Everitt, Sharks coach at the time, alluded to the similarities in style.
“It’s difficult for players who aren’t big in stature to make their mark at the top level. Thaakir has certainly done that,” observed Everitt, who is currently coaching Edinburgh.
So, how does Abrahams feel about being compared with Kolbe?
“Cheslin is one of the best attackers and finishers in world rugby, so it is an honour. The amount of work he gets through, also off the ball, is phenomenal and inspires me to work hard at my game.
“What Cheslin has done is to open doors for players like me, who aren’t as big in physique, to excel. It’s more about evasive skills and power than size.
“And, if you put in the hard yards, you will achieve – regardless of how big or small you are.”
