For the Cell C Sharks and hooker Kerron van Vuuren in particular, this season has had its share of ups and a couple of downs, but right now, the future looks a lot brighter than the period they have emerged from.
Van Vuuren was in wonderful form during Vodacom Super Rugby, but his return from the Covid-19 lockdown was struck by bad luck.
“It was frustrating after putting in a lot of fitness work at home during the lockdown, I was raring to go when we came back and then the disappointment of the injury,” he explains of the mishap that removed him from rugby action in the early part of the rugby return.
“The injury took me by surprise because it was my first and I took quite a mental knock. After coming out of lockdown, I hadn’t had the chance to lift heavy weights at home, we were doing strength testing in the gym and I suffered a bit of a freak accident trying to lift weights again. It was a bit of a setback, but I had great care from the Cell C Sharks medical staff, some good rehab and my road to recovery were quick. I’m good to go now.”
He’s played off the bench in his return and admits that he’s back on track to show the kind of form that made him one of the top hookers in the Super Rugby tournament earlier in the year.
“I feel that I’ve been getting better and better every game, feeling better in myself and getting my fitness back. I’m also getting up to speed with the game, things are starting to click faster and I’m feeling really good.”