Robust hooker Martin Bezuidenhout played his Craven Week rugby for the Leopards before moving to Johannesburg after school.
Bezuidenhout rose through the ranks quickly at the Lions, representing them at both U19 and U21 levels before making his Currie Cup debut in 2010 and his Super Rugby debut in 2011.
An outstanding scrummager who gets through an enormous amount of work around the park, Bezuidenhout was instrumental in helping the Lions win the 2011 Currie Cup trophy.
The following year, Bezuidenhout went on loan to the Stormers for the start of their Super Rugby campaign. A hard-working hooker, with particular strength in all aspects of set-piece play, he will add crucial depth to his new team’s hooking resources during his stay in Cape Town.
Date of Birth: 21/08/89
Position: Hooker
Height: 1.82m
Weight: 102kgs
Currently contracted to: Lions
A product of Glenwood High, Cooper came through the age-group ranks at the Sharks, having shone for the U19s and U21s before earning a few starts in the 2011 Currie Cup campaign.
Cooper was also a very influential part of the South African U20 side that came third at the IRB Junior World Championships in Japan in 2009.
A tough, nuggety front rower with plenty of power, possessing aggression and acceleration, Cooper earned his first Super Rugby cap for the Sharks in 2012.
Date of Birth: 10/02/89
Position: Hooker
Height: 1.78m
Weight: 109kgs
Currently contracted to: Sharks
Griquas hooker Matthew Dobson announced himself on the South African rugby scene with a couple of very impressive Varsity Cup campaigns with University of Stellenbosch (Maties).
Powerful, reliable and dynamic around the park, the young No.2 regularly took home the Man of the Match awards during both the 2009 and 2010 Varsity Cup seasons.
Born and schooled in Pietermaritzburg, Dobson moved to Maties in order to study and continue to develop his rugby. In 2011, Dobson joined Griqualand West ahead of the Vodacom Cup season. It did not take long for the strong front rower to make an impression in Kimberley. He soon earned his spot in the starting 22 and even managed to score a try on his debut, against Boland.
Date of Birth: 16/12/86
Position: Hooker
Height: 1.83m
Weight: 105kgs
Currently contracted to: Griquas
A product of Grey High School, powerful hooker Martin Ferreira represented both Eastern Province and Free State at age-group level.
Possessing not only size and strength, Ferreira's explosive pace and superb ball-handling skills have made him a stand out performer in the FNB Varsity Cup.
A bright future beckons for Ferreira, as his tremendous work ethic and abundant skills make him a valuable asset to any team.
Date of Birth: 24/01/89Position: Hooker
Height: 1,88m
Weight: 115kg
Currently contracted to:NMMU
Deon Fourie made his Super rugby debut in 2008 and is now firmly established as an integral part of the Stormers squad.
He is rated as one of South Africa’s most explosive rugby players and an example of how his opponents fear his explosive pace was when Quade Cooper tweeted about his speed during the 2011 Super 15.
Fourie has gradually matured into a leader and in 2011 he was appointed captain of Western Province Currie Cup team in the absence of Schalk Burger.
Date of Birth: 25/09/86
Position: Hooker
Height: 1.77m
Weight: 99kgs
Currently contracted to: Western Province
International Honours: SA U19, SA Sevens 2007
Known for his high work-rate and physicality on the pitch, Fourie has thrived on the field since a young age.
After representing SWD throughout age group level, right from U12 to U18, Fourie was contracted by the Leopards in 2010, where he is now a part of their Currie Cup squad.
Date of Birth: 15/10/90
Position: Hooker
Height: 1.83m
Weight: 102kgs
Currently contracted to: Leopards
Currently contracted to Pukke, Fourie's strength and mobility have seen him shine at age-group level. Still at the start of his career, Fourie is certainly one to watch for the future.
Date of Birth: 04/07/92
Position: Hooker
Height: 1,83m
Weight: 102kg
Currently contracted to: Leopards / Pukke
Experienced hooker Hannes Franklin made his professional debut for the Falcons in 2003 before, via the SWD Eagles and the Pumas, making his way to the EP Kings.
A hard-working No.2, Franklin was a member of the Lions' 2010 Super 14 squad and played for the Royals XV which took on the British and Irish Lions at the Mafokeng Stadium in 2009.
Franklin is a powerfully built hooker who enjoys carrying the ball and is who is highly regarded for his work at the contact points.
Franklin captained the Pumas during their 2010 Currie Cup campaign and helped them to avoid relegation with a hard-fought, narrow victory over the Kings in the Promotion/Relegation match. During 2011, Franklin has been a regular member of EP Kings starting team.
Date of Birth: 06/10/81
Position: Hooker
Height: 1,81m
Weight: 109kg
Currently contracted to: Eastern Province
Strong, powerful and mobile, Hamish Herd possesses all the abilities of the modern-day hooker.
After impressing at the U18 Craven Week for the Pumas in 2011, Herd was signed by the Blue Bulls in 2012, and is an integral part of the U21 team currently playing in the ABSA U21 Competition.
Date of Birth: 23/08/93
Position: Hooker
Height: 1,85m
Weight: 104kg
Currently contracted to:Blue Bulls
A powerful and abrasive hooker, Jenneker came through the Sharks academy, and represented the Durban-based franchise at U21, Vodacom Cup, Currie Cup and Super Rugby level.
In 2010, Jenneker made the move to France to play for Federale 1 side Dijon. It wasn't long before his high work rate and big defence caught the eye of French club Lyon, and Jenneker jumped at the opportunity of joining the Top 14 side the very next year.
In 2012, Jenneker signed for Oyonnax after Lyon were relegated from the Top 14.
Date of Birth: 10/04/84
Position: Hooker
Height: 1.82m
Weight: 106kgs
Currently contracted to: Oyonnax
Born in King Williams Town in Eastern Cape and schooled at Dale College, Maku made his professional debut for the Bulls at just 19 and enjoyed great success during his time with the province, claiming both Super 14 and Currie Cup titles during his 5 year stint with the senior squad.
Maku enjoyed a successful Super 14 in 2010 and shortly after he made his Springbok debut against Italy in their 29-13 win over the Azzurri in Witbank.
At the end of the 2010 season, Maku decided to move to the Lions and in 2011, he regularly got selected to start games and he played arguably his best rugby.
Maku consistently has a high work rate and has developed into one of South Africa’s most consistent hookers in Super Rugby. Maku remains a hugely ambitious and driven player and has a very bright career ahead of him in South Africa.
Date of Birth: 24/06/86
Position: Hooker
Height: 1.86m
Weight: 108kg
Currently contracted to: EP Kings
International Honours: SA U19 (2006), Emerging
Springboks 2007 & 2009, Springboks (1 Cap)
Over the years Setefano has been selected for numerous representative teams in New Zealand. In 2011, he was selected in the starting lineup for the New Zealand Under 20 team (Baby Blacks), which went on to win the IRB Under 20 World Cup in Italy.
Setefano is a powerhouse player with a sharp mind and excellent grasp of the skills essential to a hooker.A methodical player with impressive ball skills, Setefano is a formidable force at break downs and possesses great strength and speed on attack.
Still only 21-years-old, Setefano is a talented player with a bright future ahead of him.
Date of Birth: 06/06/91
Position: Hooker
Height: 1.78m
Weight: 115kgs
Currently contracted to: Waikato
An experienced and robust hooker, Van Dyk began his career at the Leopards where he jumped straight into Currie Cup action.
It wasn't long before Van Dyk caught the eye of the Super Rugby franchises, where he has since represented both the Cheetahs and the Lions at this level.
Van Dyk joined the Pumas in 2010 and was a stand-out performer for the team in their 2011 Currie Cup campaign.
Date of Birth: 29/04/82
Position: Hooker
Height: 1.77m
Weight: 108kgs
Currently contracted to: SWD Eagles
Griquas hooker Simon Westraadt attended Grey High School in the Eastern Province, representing the region at the Coca-Cola Craven Week in 2004, before moving down to the Cape to continue his career.
The powerful No.2 made his debut for Western Province in Vodacom Cup in 2007, before moving to Griqualand West in 2009.
Date of Birth: 31/03/86
Position: Hooker
Height: 1.76m
Weight: 107kg
Currently contracted to: Griquas
