FNB Varsity Shield
Fullback Jano Roux has been the epitome of FNB Rhodes’ resilience in this year’s FNB Varsity Shield.
The 19-year-old scored 22 of his team’s 32 points during the bumper weekend at CPUT in Bellville and was named the FNB Player That Rocks after their match against FNB UKZN.
‘I come from humble beginnings,’ says Roux, who is a BA Law student. ‘I grew up in Gelvandale in Gqeberha.
‘My mom, Felicia, is a single parent as my father passed away when I was just two years old. She is my hero and I owe everything I am and have today to her.
She worked hard to send me to Grey Junior before I was fortunate enough to attend Kingswood High where my rugby took off.
‘I made the Eastern Province Academy team in 2019 and the following year I was in the EP Craven Week squad but then Covid struck and the tournament was cancelled.
‘Covid denied me and my peers many opportunities, but luckily, I could go to Rhodes where I can focus on academics as well as sport.’
Roux, who has three brothers, says he wants to be a role model.
‘My younger brother Cameron [6] is exactly like me. He also lost his dad when he was very young and to be honest, the reason why I’m doing all of this – studying and working hard – is to set a positive example for him and to be someone he can look up to.
‘It’s also really important for me to raise the bar and set a good standard for those who come after me.’
The diminutive Roux – he stands at 1.71m and weighs 77kg –only recently started kicking for posts again.
‘We haven’t really been scoring tries so I've worked very hard on my goal-kicking over the past two weeks. I see it as an opportunity to keep the scoreboard ticking over and hopefully if I’m accurate off the kicking tee, we will give ourselves more chances at winning games.’
FNB Rhodes will need to win or draw their last game of the 2022 campaign against the FNB TUT Vikings in Pretoria on Friday – depending on the result of the earlier match between FNB DUT and FNB UFH – to avoid being relegated from the FNB Varsity Shield.
The match at TUT Stadium will kick off at 17:00.
Interview by Shafiek Mouton
Photo: Luigi Bennett/ASEM Engage
