Willie Odendaal

Career

He can play as a scrum-half, centre or winger. Youth

Odendaal played school rugby for Hoërskool Eldoraigne and earned a selection to the Blue Bulls squad for the Under-18 Craven Week in 2008. Shortly afterwards, he joined Witbank-based side the Pumas.

He played for the Pumas U19 team in the 2008 and 2009 Under-19 Provincial Championships.

Falcons

2010 saw Odendaal move to the East Rand to join the Falcons. He made eight appearances in the competition and playing mainly as a scrum-half.

Eight appearances followed in the 2011 Vodacom Cup, which saw him score his first senior try against the Border Bulldogs and another against Argentineaninvitational side Pampas XV. From 2012, Odendaal played mainly as a centre. He scored three tries, but could not help the Falcons finish higher than second-last in the competition.

He topped the try-scoring charts for the Falcons and finished ninth overall.

Achievements

• After playing in a compulsory friendly match for them against the Natal Sharks in Nigel prior to the 2010 Currie Cup First Division season, he made his debut in the competition proper by starting their first match of the season against the Griffons in Welkom. Six starts and two appearances off the bench followed in his second Currie Cup campaign in 2011, contributing one try. After scoring two tries in six appearances during the 2012 Vodacom Cup competition, he firmly established himself as a first choice for the Falcons, starting in thirteen of their matches during the 2012 Currie Cup First Division season. After a further seven appearances in the 2013 Vodacom Cup, he had his most prolific Currie Cup season for the Falcons, scoring seven tries in eleven appearances. His try-scoring form included scoring a first half hat-trick against the SWD Eagles in Kempton Park, but could not prevent the Falcons losing the match as the visitors rallied back to win the match 38–37.