Duncan Matthews (rugby union)

Duncan Victor Matthews (born 24 February 1994) is a South African rugby union player for the Golden Lions in the Currie Cup.^[1] He also plays for the Seattle Seawolves in Major League Rugby (MLR) in the United States. He can play as a fullback, winger or centre.^[2]

Matthews was born in Atlantis and attended high school in nearby Malmesbury. From there, he was selected to represent the Boland Cavaliers at the Under-16 Grant Khomo Week in 2010, kicking 12 points with the boot in his two appearances.

After school, he moved to Pretoria to join the Blue Bulls academy.^[3] He made ten appearances for their Under-19 side during the 2013 Under-19 Provincial Championship, scoring tries in matches against Leopards U19,^[4] Golden Lions U19^[5] and Sharks U19^[6] during the regular season, and another one in the final to help his side win the title with a 35–23 victory over the Golden Lions.^[7]

Matthews then played for UP Tuks – the university team affiliated to the Blue Bulls academy – in the 2014 Varsity Cup, scoring tries against UCT Ikey Tigers^[8] and Maties^[9] in his four appearances. He played in eight matches for the Blue Bulls U21s in the 2014 Under-21 Provincial Championship, with tries in matches against Leopards U21^[10] and Sharks U21^[11] during the regular season. For the second season in a row, Matthews was the member of a title-winning team, starting the final of the competition where the Blue Bulls beat Western Province U21 20–10 in Cape Town.^[12] He was rewarded with a contract extension by the Blue Bulls, ensuring he would remain in Pretoria until October 2016.^[13]

Matthews scored a try in a 29–all draw between UP Tuks and UFS Shimlas in the 2015 Varsity Cup^[14] in one of three starts in the competition, but suffered a knee injury that kept him out of action for the majority of the season.^[15] Despite his injury, Matthews signed a further contract extension until October 2018.^[16] He returned to make a single appearance for the Blue Bulls U21s attempting to retain their Under-21 Provincial Championship title, starting a match against Eastern Province U21.^[17]

His third Varsity Cup campaign saw him score two tries – against UJ^[18] and CUT Ixias^[19] – in five starts before making his first class debut, starting in the Blue Bulls' 14–19 defeat to the Eastern Province Kings in Port Elizabeth^[20] in the 2016 Currie Cup qualification series. After a second start against the Pumas,^[21] Matthews scored his first senior try in a 38–39 defeat to Griquas in Kimberley.^[22]