West Coast to Wellington – Jordaan’s 116-game journey

Next up in the Sanlam Boland Legacy Series, we feature Zandré Jordaan – a journey which started on the East Coast of South Africa in KZN and moved to the West Coast, finally playing 116 games for the Sanlam Boland Kavaliers. A story that will inspire quiet confidence in every aspiring young rugby player.

Zandré Jordaan may have been born in Empangeni in KwaZulu-Natal, but it was on the West Coast where his rugby roots grew deep into Boland soil. He was only six years old when his family moved to Vredenburg. At Vredenburg Primary School, his rugby journey began before his talent took him to Paarl, where he attended Boishaai.

Years later, he would become one of the Sanlam Boland Kavaliers’ most experienced players. Jordan represented the black-and-gold in 116 games and also bore the responsibility of leading the team as captain.

“It was a great honour to play for the Cavaliers,” said the now 38-year-old Jordan. “I grew up on the West Coast, and Boland has always been in my veins. The union welcomed me kindly and with open arms. To finally be able to represent the region where I grew up, and to be able to do it so many times, was very special to me,” he says.

Jordaan’s career would probably have taken a very different direction if it hadn’t been for Richard Visagie at Boishaai. He initially played at centre, but Visagie spotted something else in the young player and moved him to the number eight position.

“Mr Visagie was the first person who had a big influence on my rugby. He moved me from centre to eight and, to be honest, I don’t think I would have gone very far up centre,” Jordan joked.

The move was a career-defining decision. With his physical presence, performance, and ability to read the game, Jordaan found a natural home at the back of the scrum. It was a position in which he would become a stalwart for the Kavaliers over many seasons.

Two coaches who later had a great influence on him were Eugene “Loffie” Eloff and Brent Janse van Rensburg. “Coach Loffie and coach Brent both played an important role at different times. With Loffie, we won the Currie Cup First Division, while coach Brent got the Kavaliers back into the Premier Division. Brent is a great coach with incredible passion for the game,” says Jordaan.

Under Eloff, Boland won the First Division in 2011. The Kavaliers beat Eastern Province 43–12 in the final at Boland Stadium in Wellington. Jordaan trotted out that day at number eight in a team full of well-known Boland names, including Willie le Roux, Cornal Hendricks, Bolla Conradie, Elgar Watts, and Clemen Lewis.

When asked to pick one match out of his 116, it is precisely that final that stands out above the others. “Every game I played for the Kavas was special and unique. But if I have to choose, I’ll pick the First Division Final against the EP. It’s just been a good year with good players and players. To win the final with them was special.”

Under the leadership of Jordaan and the coaching of Janse van Rensburg, the Kavaliers managed to qualify for the Currie Cup Premier Division in 2016 – another important chapter in Jordaan’s long association with the team.

His 116 appearances place Jordaan among a special group of players who have worn the Boland jersey with distinction over many years. But when he talks about his legacy, it’s not the number, captaincy or results that come to mind first. “I hadn’t really thought about it that way yet,” he says. “Hopefully people will remember that I was a good person on and off the field. If I could make an impact on someone’s life and it was for the better, that would be great for me.”

That answer says a lot about the former captain. Rugby has given him opportunities, friendships and precious memories, but the person behind the player remains more important to him than any statistic.

After his playing days, Jordaan passed on his knowledge of the game to a younger generation. He was associated with Vredendal High School for several years, where he also coached the first rugby team. However, in 2026, he started a new chapter. “I started working at WeBuyCars this year. Before that, I was at Vredendal High School for a few years, where I also coached the first rugby team. Since I left there, I’ve only watched rugby now,” he says with a laugh.

He still follows the Kavaliers and is impressed with the work that Hawies Fourie and the current group are doing. For Jordaan, the enjoyment visible in their game is one of the most important ingredients of their success. “Coach Hawies is doing a fantastic job with the current group of players. You can see in their game that they really enjoy it and I think that’s very important. When a player no longer enjoys the game, he can easily become self-satisfied. I hope this group can continue to grow and that we will see many more Springboks born out of the Kavaliers,” says Jordaan.

It’s a dream fit for someone whose own journey has stretched from Vredenburg’s school fields to more than a hundred games for Boland. These days, however, Jordaan’s biggest team is his family. He and his wife Maryka are the proud parents of two little girls, as he focuses on his career outside rugby.

His message to young players in the Boland is simple, but comes from a career in which he has experienced its value for himself. “Keep dreaming, work hard, and trust the Lord in the process.”

For a boy who wasn’t born in the Boland but shaped by the West Coast, that process has inscribed him deeply in the Kavaliers’ history. After 116 games, there’s no doubt: Boland wasn’t just on Jordan’s jersey. It was, and remains, in his veins.