Graham Croker
Three of Sydney University Football Club’s NSW Waratah representatives will pass milestones during the three-match Super 14 tour of South Africa.
NSW captain and flanker Phil Waugh became the Waratahs’ most capped player last weekend against the Cheetahs when he racked up his 112th provincial cap, including 108 Super 12/14 caps, the most by any player.
Waugh brought up his 100th NSW cap in last year’s Super 14 semi-final against the Sharks, when he became the fourth player to make a century of appearances for his state, joining former team-mates Matt Burke, Chris Whitaker and David Lyons.
In the 2009 round 3 clash with the Highlanders at the SFS this season, Waugh became only the third Waratah to earn 100 Super Rugby caps.
Second-rower Will Caldwell will earn his 50th Super 12/14 cap – he has 65 provincial caps for NSW – when he turns out against the Sharks at ABSA Stadium in Durban this Saturday afternoon (11pm AEST).
One of the quiet achievers of the Waratahs, he played every minute of the 2007 season before bringing up 50 provincial caps in 2008. He has played 39 of the Waratahs’ 42 matches in the past three seasons and has been an unsung hero in the improvement of the NSW scrum, packing in behind the tighthead prop.
In the round 10 Super 14 match against the Western Force this year, Caldwell became NSW’s most-capped second-rower (64).
The other unsung hero of the scrum this year is fellow second-rower Dean Mumm, who will earn his 50th provincial cap – and his 38th Super 14 cap – in the match against the Sharks.
As with Waugh and Caldwell, Mumm is also a product of the Sydney University Colts.
After making his Super 14 debut in 2007, Mumm has played in all but one of the Waratahs matches in the past two years with his ability to play at second-row and on the side of the scrum an asset to the pack. He was rewarded for his fantastic season with his first Wallaby jersey in 2008 and was named in the Spring Tour squad.
Sydney University’s other representatives in Durban on Saturday will be halfback Luke Burgess, five-eighth Daniel Halangahu, winger Peter Playford and centre Tom Carter off the bench.
