Jeffreys Bay rugby star represents SA at Tokyo
Selvyn Davids, born and bred on the shores of Jeffreys Bay, recently represented South Africa as part of the Blitzboks Sevens squad at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Davids, who describes his mother as his role model, and his girlfriend, family and friends as his primary support system, partly attributes his success on the international stage to the entire town of Jeffreys Bay uniting behind him.
“My family has always been there to support me; then there are my friends and the whole of Jeffreys Bay that know me. And even if they just offer a few words of encouragement, believe in me, something so small can have a huge impact,” he said. David describes himself as privileged having the opportunity to play alongside a number of his role models in the rugby world.”I have a few that played Sevens rugby and some of them who still play sevens.
“There are Cecil Afrika and Rosko Specman playing 15s rugby at the moment, and Justin Geduld and Branco du Preez who are currently playing Sevens with me. I’m one of the lucky ones that can say I’m blessed to be able to play with the people I look up to.”
An avid golfer, Davids has been actively involved with the Jeffreys Bay Golf Development Club since the inception of the programme and also engages in strenuous rugby training four times a week.
He currently plays in the positions of a sweeper and playmaker in Sevens rugby.
Davids said that he was about five or six years old when his interest in rugby was first sparked and admits to always having an inclination towards athletics and other sport, such as soccer when he was younger.
Having attended Nico Malan High School, for a while, Davids ebbed and flowed between the club and professional rugby; initially playing for the Eastern Province in 2014 and then Despatch Rugby Club in 2015.
In the same year, Davids broke out onto the national stage and played for the u/21 Cheetahs, then completed a move to Griffons in Welkom in 2017.
This would also be the year Selvyn Davids would become a mainstay in the international sphere as he went on to secure a regular selection into the Blitzboks squad.
While he admits that the road to success is a bumpy one, ridden with ups and downs, Davids emphasised that failure is not the ultimate end and should not prove a defining factor on the way to the top.
When asked about any advice he might have for any young person looking to rise through the ranks the way he did, he said, “Don’t be afraid to fail. Success doesn’t come easy. You need to stay disciplined and keep on working hard and don’t let anyone tell you that you are not good enough. Your dream must be so big that it scares you.”
Speaking with the Kouga Express on his success in attending Tokyo 2020, Davids shared his widespread gratitude to each and every person who uttered a positive or motivational word to him along his journey to the top – and ultimately attributes his ongoing success to these acts of kindness and encouragement.