{"id":91716,"date":"2026-03-03T07:16:41","date_gmt":"2026-03-03T05:16:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ssschoolsplus.co.za\/?p=91716"},"modified":"2026-03-03T07:16:41","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T05:16:41","slug":"player-profile-ethan-van-biljon-stellenberg-high","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/?p=91716","title":{"rendered":"Player Profile – Ethan van Biljon (Stellenberg High)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Ethan van Biljon makes a line-breaking run. Photo: Supplied by Michael Thomas.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“You’ll never know how good you could have been, unless you try” – IFBB Hall of Fame<\/strong> bodybuilder, Mike Mentzer<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Ethan van Biljon<\/strong> has come a long way since he first gravitated towards a rugby ball in preschool. The SA Schools A<\/strong> and SA u18A<\/strong> flyhalf will again be serving as the playmaker for Stellenberg High<\/strong> in 2026.<\/p>\n

The Jade Brigade’s<\/strong> <\/em>General told SuperSport Schools Plus<\/strong><\/a> about his desire to reach the professional stage: “Over the next five years, I have clear goals for myself, both in rugby and in my personal life.<\/p>\n

“From a rugby point of view, I want to make my debut at URC<\/strong> level, and to be selected for the SA u20<\/strong> squad. Playing at that level would be a huge achievement and privilege for me.<\/p>\n

“Being part of the system would give me the chance to test myself against top players my age, and to grow in a high-performance environment.<\/p>\n

“On a personal level, I would like to complete my studies in Business Accounting, with a diploma or a full degree. Education is important, and I want to be prepared for life beyond the game. Balancing academics with high-level sport helps one grow in discipline, responsibility and, very importantly, time management.<\/p>\n

“Overall, my goal is to keep improving step by step – working hard every day, taking opportunities as they come, and building a strong foundation for my future, both on and off the field.”<\/p>\n

Van Biljon’s agent and Stellenberg Head Cricket Coach Michael Thomas<\/strong><\/a>, spoke highly of the Western Province<\/strong> flyhalf’s temperament: “Ethan is a great example of a player that works very hard. He leads by example and is not a guy who gets involved in [negative] off-field stuff. He is a calm character and a great leader both on and off the field.”<\/p>\n

Thomas also shared his insights from observing Van Biljon playing and training over the years: “I first saw Ethan as a player at u14 level. What stood out was his time on the ball, as well as his ability to identify space. His quick feet were amazing as well.”<\/p>\n

Van Biljon is very capable as a running flyhalf. He is athletically gifted, rumoured to run a sub-11-second 100 metre sprint. However, Thomas said another aspect of the playmaker’s game has evolved the most over the years: “His kicking has improved a lot. His ability to adapt his game when nothing is on, and to put sides under pressure with his boot has improved a lot.”<\/p>\n

Van Biljon does not shy away from self-analysis, and he addressed the area of his game that he’d like to improve the most: “One aspect of my game that I’m always working to improve is consistency. Even when things are going well, I know there’s still room for growth – whether that\u2019s improving decision-making, sharpening fundamentals, or becoming more effective in high-pressure moments.<\/p>\n

“I also focus a lot on communication and leadership within a team setting. Being part of a team means understanding different personalities, building trust, and constantly improving how you contribute to the group’s success. That’s something you can always get better at.<\/p>\n

“To me, the work never ends. There’s always something to improve physically, mentally, or as a teammate. That mindset keeps me motivated, and helps me to grow both individually and as part of a team.”<\/p>\n

With Ethan van Biljon pulling the strings at flyhalf, Stellenberg High is a team to watch in 2026. They’re a tough unit, a dark horse which could ruffle the traditional established order.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“You’ll never know how good you could have been, unless you try” – IFBB Hall of Fame bodybuilder, Mike Mentzer. Ethan van Biljon has come a long way since he first gravitated towards a rugby ball in preschool. The SA Schools A and SA u18A flyhalf will again be serving as the playmaker for Stellenberg […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40,"featured_media":91717,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-91716","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91716","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/40"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=91716"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91716\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/91717"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=91716"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=91716"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=91716"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}