| Full name | Leolin Lucien Zas | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | (1995-10-20)20 October 1995 (age 30) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.84 m (6 ft1⁄2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 93 kg (14 st 9 lb; 205 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Hermanus High School,Hermanus | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Leolin Lucien Zas (born 20 October 1995) is a South Africanrugby union player for theStormers inSuper Rugby and in theCurrie Cup and theStormers XV in theRugby Challenge.[1] His regular position is winger and centre.
Zas was selected by theBoland Cavaliers to represent them at the Under-18Craven Week competition held inPolokwane in 2013. He started three matches for them at outside centre and scored 18 points for his side, which consisted of one try in their match against hostsLimpopo Blue Bulls[2] and 13 points with the boot. His performances were also noticed by the selectors of theSouth African Schools team and he made two appearances for them in the 2013 Under-18 International Series; he started both their 17–13 victory againstFrance[3] and match against Wales, as a try by Zas proved crucial in a 14–13 victory.[4]
After high school, Zas joined the Western Province Rugby Institute and he representedWestern Province U19 in the2014 Under-19 Provincial Championship. Zas started eight of their twelve matches during the regular season and scored five tries – three of those came in a single match againstLeopards U21,[5] while he also scored againstFree State U19 in both their home[6] and away[7] matches in the competition. Western Province finished in third spot on the log to qualify for the semi-finals, where they met the Free State U19s and Zas scored for a third time against the same opposition in a 29–22 victory inBloemfontein.[8] He also started the final, where Western Province became champions by beating theBlue Bulls U19s 33–26.[9]
In 2015, Zas was selected a 37-manSouth Africa Under-20 training squad[10] and started for them in a friendly match against a 2015 Varsity Cup Dream Team, scoring a try in a 31–24 victory.[11] He was named in their squad to tourArgentina for a two-match series as preparation for the 2015 World Rugby Under 20 Championship.[12] He started both their 25–22 victory overArgentina in the first match,[13] and their 39–28 win in the second match four days later, scoring a second-half try for the visitors.[14]
Upon the team's return, Zas was named in the final squad for the2015 World Rugby Under 20 Championship.[15] He started all three of their matches in Pool B of the competition; a 33–5 win against hostsItaly,[16] a 40–8 win againstSamoa which saw Zas score a try shortly after half-time[17] and their final match againstAustralia, with Zas again on the scoresheet in a 46–13 win.[18] The results meant that South Africa finished top of Pool B to qualify for the semi-finals with the best record in the pool stage of all the teams in the competition. Zas also started their semi-final match againstEngland, but couldn't prevent them losing the match 20–28 to be eliminated from the competition by England for the second year in succession.[19] He started their third-place play-off match againstFrance, helping South Africa to a 31–18 win to win the bronze medal.[20]
Zas returned to domestic action by representingWestern Province U21 in the2015 Under-21 Provincial Championship Group A and he made his domestic first class debut – and his first appearance in theCurrie Cup competition – after being named in the starting line-up forWestern Province's final match of the2015 Currie Cup Premier Division regular season against theEastern Province Kings.[21]
In 2016, Zas was included in aSouth Africa 'A' squad that played atwo-match series against a touringEngland Saxons team.[22] He was named in the starting line-up for their first match inBloemfontein,[23] but ended on the losing side as the visitors ran out 32–24 winners.[24] He also started the second match of the series, kicking one conversion in a 26–29 defeat to the Saxons inGeorge.[25]