Abu Dhabi Harlequins centre Garth van Niekerk dies, aged 28, after short battle with cancer

Matt Jones - Editor 18:26 04/11/2017
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  • Garth van Niekerk (l) scores for Sarries against Doha in his debut season

    A great rugby player, but an even greater man – that’s the general consensus throughout UAE rugby when asked about Garth van Niekerk, the Abu Dhabi Harlequins centre who died after a short battle with cancer early on Saturday.

    Tributes poured in throughout the day on social media for Van Niekirk, 28, who had moved across the capital to Quins in the summer after two seasons with Saracens.

    Van Niekerk, a flight paramedic with Abu Dhabi Aviation Search and Rescue (SAR), underwent medical tests in pre-season but was determined to play for Quins in their 36-32 Western Clubs Champions League triumph over Bahrain on September 8, despite being advised not to.

    The South African was named man of the match in victory, before being told the devastating news that he had stage four colon cancer. Even though he underwent chemotherapy, he was recently told the cancer had spread to his liver and lungs and was given weeks to live. Van Niekerk flew back to his native Johannesburg around two weeks ago to be with his family.

    Quins and Dubai Exiles, consisting of several former teammates at Sarries, paid tribute to Van Niekerk by wearing pink socks in Friday’s West Asia Premiership clash, before coming together for a photo after the final whistle that was to be sent to the family.

    Coaches, chairmen and teammates all agreed that Van Niekerk was a talented player, but first and foremost he was a wonderful guy.

    Van Niekerk (l) with fellow South African Sean Stevens (c) and Sarries director of rugby Stephen Hamilton

    Van Niekerk (l) with fellow South African Sean Stevens (c) and Stephen Hamilton.

    “It’s always the good ones. He’s a quality bloke on and off the pitch and it’s a big hit on the lads,” Quins coach Mike McFarlane said after Friday’s game.

    “He was outstanding and I was very excited to get him in the team (this summer). We’re here to play rugby but we’re all mates.”

    Quins held a fundraiser last week, attended by a flurry of people associated with the club, as well as rivals Sarries.

    McFarlane added: “It typified what the club is about. We had 150/200 people there, probably three quarters of them didn’t know who Garth was, they just knew he was a Quins player and we all stick together. Hopefully what we’ve raised will make a massive impact for his family.”

    Sarries chairman Jay Danielson recalls a guy who was an “absolute pleasure” to have around and a player so dedicated to his craft, he once turned up to an early morning beach training session still wearing his flight suit and helmet.

    “He was a great ambassador for rugby in Abu Dhabi. He was a gentleman and a fantastic player,” said Danielson of Van Nikerk.

    “It’s hard to know what to say when something happens this quickly. A great player but a great guy too.

    “I was looking back at a photo today of maybe the second year he was with us. We had a beach training session in the morning and he turned up in his flight suit. He was determined to get to the early morning training session, he’d got dropped off by the helicopter and got straight into a cab and turned up still in his suit and helmet.

    “He loved his rugby but was a great guy. On the field he was one of the fairest players around. I don’t think he gave away a penalty in the few years he was with us.

    “He won Player of the Season in his first year, he was a weapon. Those trying to tackle him would have remembered the first time they got steamrollered. He wasn’t the biggest but he was hard to put down and ran beautiful lines.”

    Van Niekerk had contacted Danielson upon his arrival in the UAE in April 2015 and had an immediate impact at Al Ghazal, named Sarries’ Player of the Season in his first year with the club.

    Van Niekerk in his Abu Dhabi Aviation SAR gear attending a Sarries training session

    Van Niekerk in his Abu Dhabi Aviation SAR gear attending a Sarries training session.

    “He called me one evening saying he’d found us on the web and got my number,” added Danielson, who believes Van Niekirk would have been pushing to make Apollo Perelini’s UAE squad for next year’s Asia Rugby Championship squad as he would have qualified in April.

    “I explained how to get to Al Ghazal, he turned up, paid his subs and got straight into it, just a lovely guy to be around. He was an absolute pleasure to have around.

    “Quins put on a great show the other week, well attended by Saracens and Quins alike. He’d obviously made a quick impression there too because he’d only played pre-season and one game, they thought he was a top bloke, which is testament to him.

    “It’s a real loss for UAE rugby because he would have been eligible this year and I think you’d have been hard pressed to keep him out of the squad.”

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