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Embrose Papier

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Embrose Papier
Full nameEmbrose Cheldon Papier
Date of birth (1997-04-25) 25 April 1997 (age 27)
Place of birthClanwilliam, South Africa
Height1.71 m (5 ft 7+12 in)
Weight80 kg (12 st 8 lb; 176 lb)
SchoolHoërskool Garsfontein
UniversityUniversity of Pretoria
Rugby union career
Position(s) Scrum-half
Current team Bulls / Blue Bulls
Youth career
2010 Boland Cavaliers
2013–2018 Blue Bulls
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2018–present Bulls 52 (30)
2018–2019 Blue Bulls XV 4 (15)
2018–present Blue Bulls 15 (20)
2019–2020 Sale Sharks 11 (0)
Correct as of 23 July 2022
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2014–2015 South Africa U18 6 (15)
2016–2017 South Africa U20 6 (10)
2018 South Africa 7 (0)
Correct as of 21 July 2019

Embrose Cheldon Papier (born 25 April 1997) is a South African professional rugby union player for the Bulls in the United Rugby Championship and the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup.[1] His regular position is scrum-half.

Rugby career

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2010–2015: Schoolboy rugby

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Papier was born in Clanwilliam in the Western Cape. As early as primary school level, he earned provincial colours by representing the Boland Cavaliers at the 2010 Under-13 Craven Week tournament held in Graaff-Reinet.[2]

In 2011, he enrolled at Hoerskool Swartland, which is the Alma mater of current Springbok and 2019 World Rugby player of the Year, Pieter-Steph Du Toit. In 2013, he then moved to Pretoria, where he enrolled at Hoërskool Garsfontein. In 2013, he represented the Blue Bulls at the Under-16 Grant Khomo Week held in Vanderbijlpark,[3] starting all three of their matches and scoring a try in their match against Eastern Province.[4]

In 2014, despite still being in the Under-17 age bracket, he was included in the Blue Bulls squad for the Under-18 Craven Week, South Africa's premier rugby union tournament at high school level.[5] He started all three matches at the tournament held in Middelburg, scoring a try in their 36–15 victory over KwaZulu-Natal.[6] After the tournament, he was included in a South Africa Schools team that hosted the Under-18 International Series against their counterparts from France, Wales and England.[7] Papier played off the bench in their 28–13 victory over France in their opening match,[8] but was promoted to the starting line-up for their second match against Wales, scoring a try in their 40–15 victory.[9] He was again used as a replacement for their final match against England, but could not prevent South Africa suffering a 22–30 defeat.[10]

Papier had a similar season in 2015; he started all three of the Blue Bulls' matches at the Craven Week in Stellenbosch, scoring a try in their 40–12 victory over his home province Boland.[11] He was once again included in the South Africa Schools squad,[12] this time starting all three of their matches and also being named the vice-captain of the team. He scored a try in their 42–11 victory over Wales,[13] and – after a 12–5 victory over France in their second match[14] – scored another in their 23–16 win over England to avenge their 2014 defeat.[15]

2016–2018: Youth rugby

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After high school, Papier joined the Blue Bulls' academy for the 2016 season. Despite not being included in an initial South Africa Under-20 training squad,[16] or a reduced provisional squad named a week later,[17] Papier was included in the final South Africa Under-20 squad for the 2016 World Rugby Under 20 Championship tournament to be held in Manchester in England.[18] He started their opening match in Pool C of the tournament on the bench, appearing for the final eight minutes as South Africa came from behind to beat Japan 59–19.[19] He did not feature in their second pool match, a 13–19 defeat to Argentina,[20] but started their final match, scoring South Africa's first try in the match as they bounced back to secure a 40-31 bonus-point victory over France.[21] The result meant South Africa secured a semi-final place as the best runner-up in the competition, but Papier suffered an ankle injury during a training session, which ended his involvement in the tournament.[22] South Africa faced three-time champions England in their semi-final match, but the hosts proved too strong for them, knocking them out of the competition with a 39–17 victory,[23] and they also lost the third-place play-off match against Argentina, as the South American side beat South Africa for the second time in the tournament, convincingly winning 49–19[24] to condemn South Africa to fourth place in the competition.

Papier recovered from his injury towards the end of the 2016 Under-19 Provincial Championship, starting the Blue Bulls' final two matches of the regular season. He scored a try in the first of those, a 62–7 victory over Leopards U19,[25] before he helped the Blue Bulls secure second place on the log[26] with a 50–30 victory over Western Province U19.[27] He also started their semi-final match against Golden Lions U19, but a 34–24 victory for the team from Johannesburg ended the Blue Bulls' participation in the competition.[28]

In November 2016, Papier was named in the Bulls Super Rugby team's extended training squad during the team's preparations for the 2017 Super Rugby season.[29]

2019-2020: Sale Sharks

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In September 2019, Papier joined Premiership rugby union side Sale Sharks on a three-month loan deal as Rugby World Cup cover for compatriot Faf de Klerk.[30]

Honours

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  • Super Rugby Unlocked winner 2020
  • Currie Cup winner 2020–21
  • United Rugby Championship runner-up 2021-22
  • Vodacom Bulls Currie Cup Player of the Year 2023

References

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  1. ^ "SA Rugby Player Profile – Embrose Papier". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  2. ^ "SA Rugby Squad – Boland : 2010 U13 Craven Week". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  3. ^ "SA Rugby Squad – Blue Bulls : 2013 U16 Grant Khomo Week". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  4. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Blue Bulls 30–26 Eastern Province". South African Rugby Union. 1 July 2013. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  5. ^ "SA Rugby Squad – Blue Bulls : 2014 U18 Craven Week". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  6. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – KwaZulu-Natal 15–36 Blue Bulls". South African Rugby Union. 19 July 2014. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  7. ^ "SA Rugby Squad – SA Schools : 2014 SA Schools 2014". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  8. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – SA Schools 28–13 France U18". South African Rugby Union. 15 August 2014. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  9. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – SA Schools 40–15 Wales U18". South African Rugby Union. 19 August 2014. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  10. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – SA Schools 22–30 England U18". South African Rugby Union. 23 August 2014. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  11. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Blue Bulls U18 40–12 Boland U18". South African Rugby Union. 18 July 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  12. ^ "SA Rugby Squad – South Africa U18 : 2015 SA Schools 2015". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  13. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa U18 42–11 Wales U18". South African Rugby Union. 7 August 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  14. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa U18 12–5 France U18". South African Rugby Union. 11 August 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  15. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa U18 23–16 England U18". South African Rugby Union. 15 August 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  16. ^ "Large group invited to Junior Springbok trials camp". South African Rugby Union. 24 March 2016. Archived from the original on 31 May 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  17. ^ "Theron names provisional Junior Springbok squad". South African Rugby Union. 1 April 2016. Archived from the original on 31 May 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  18. ^ "Ward to lead Junior Springboks in England". South African Rugby Union. 10 May 2016. Archived from the original on 31 May 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  19. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa U20 59–19 Japan U20". South African Rugby Union. 7 June 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  20. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa U20 13–19 Argentina U20". South African Rugby Union. 11 June 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  21. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa U20 40–31 France U20". South African Rugby Union. 15 June 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  22. ^ "Injury blows for Junior Boks". IOL Sport. 20 June 2016. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  23. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – England U20 39–17 South Africa U20". South African Rugby Union. 20 June 2016. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  24. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Argentina U20 49–19 South Africa U20". South African Rugby Union. 25 June 2016. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  25. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Leopards U19 7–62 Blue Bulls U19". South African Rugby Union. 10 September 2016. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  26. ^ "SA Rugby Log – 2016 SA Rugby U19 Provincial Champs". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  27. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – WP U19 30–50 Blue Bulls U19". South African Rugby Union. 23 September 2016. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  28. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Blue Bulls U19 24–34 Golden Lions U19". South African Rugby Union. 15 October 2016. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  29. ^ "Pollard to return to training next month" (Press release). Bulls. 18 November 2016. Archived from the original on 26 November 2016. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
  30. ^ "Embrose Papier: Sale sign South Africa scrum-half as World Cup cover". BBC. 17 September 2019. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
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