Tristan Blewett
Full nameTristan James Blewett
Date of birth (1996-08-26) 26 August 1996
Place of birthJohannesburg, South Africa
Height1.30 m (4 ft 3 in)
Weight93 kg (14 st 9 lb; 205 lb)
SchoolHilton College, KwaZulu-Natal
UniversityUniversity of KwaZulu-Natal, University of Surrey
Rugby union career
Position(s) Centre / Winger / Fullback
Current team none
Youth career
2012–2017 Sharks
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
2016 UKZN Impi 8 (35)
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2016–2018 Sharks XV 13 (30)
2017 Sharks (Currie Cup) 6 (0)
2018 Eastern Province Kings 1 (5)
2018 Southern Kings 2 (0)
2018–2020 New Orleans Gold 0 (0)
Correct as of 27 October 2018

Tristan James Blewett (born 26 August 1996) was a South African professional rugby union player for the New Orleans Gold in Major League Rugby in the United States.[1] His regular position is centre, but he can also play as a winger or fullback.

Early life and schoolboy rugby

Blewett was born in Johannesburg, but grew up in Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu-Natal. He attended Hilton College, where he was included in various KwaZulu-Natal provincial teams. In 2012, he represented them at the Under-16 Grant Khomo Week in Johannesburg,[2] starting all three matches in the inside centre position.[3] He also started all three matches for a KwaZulu-Natal team that hosted the 2013 Under-18 Academy Week at Glenwood High School in Durban,[4] and at the Under-18 Craven Week – South Africa's premier rugby union tournament at high school level – held in Middelburg in 2014.[5]

2015–2018: Sharks

After school, Blewett joined the academy of KwaZulu-Natal's professional rugby team, the Sharks. He was included in the Sharks U19 squad that participated in the 2015 Under-19 Provincial Championship,[6] and started each of their twelve matches in the competition. He scored tries in matches against Free State U19,[7] Eastern Province U19[8] and Golden Lions U19 – in both their home[9] and away[10] clashes – before ending the season with two tries in their final match against Free State U19.[11] Despite Blewett's six tries (and a single conversion for a season tally of 32 points),[12] the Sharks endured a poor season, winning just one match and finishing bottom of the log.[13]

Blewett started the 2016 by participating in the 2016 Varsity Shield for UKZN Impi. He featured in all eight of their matches, scoring seven tries; he scored one try in their opening round victory over Wits[14] and one a fortnight later against UFH Blues[15] before getting two tries in a 63–30 win over TUT Vikings in his fourth appearance.[16] One try followed in a 16–44 defeat to UWC[17] before another two-try haul in their 97–0 win over the UFH Blues.[18] Blewett's total of seven tries was the second-most by any player in the competition, behind team-mate Thobekani Buthelezi,[19] and helped UKZN Impi to second spot on the log.[20] However, the Varsity Cup Executive Committee ruled that UKZN Impi fielded an ineligible player throughout the season and imposed a twelve points deduction, which cost UKZN Impi a place in the Varsity Shield final and a Varsity Cup promotion play-off against UCT Ikey Tigers.[21]

After the Varsity Shield, Blewett linked up with the Sharks XV squad that participated in the 2016 Currie Cup qualification series.[22] He made his first class debut on 23 April 2016, coming on as a replacement in their 48–18 victory over Namibian side the Welwitschias,[23] and made a second appearance four weeks later in a 16–53 defeat to a Golden Lions XV.[24] He spent the rest of the season playing in the 2016 Under-21 Provincial Championship for the Sharks U21 team, where he scored six tries in six appearances to end as the joint-top try scorer in the competition.[25] He scored single tries in matches against Eastern Province U21[26] and Leopards U21[27] before scoring two tries against Blue Bulls U21[28] and Free State U21.[29] The team finished in sixth spot to miss out on the title play-offs.[30]

At the end of October 2016, Blewett was included in the Sharks Super Rugby squad for the 2017 season.[31]

2018: Southern Kings

In September 2018, Blewett moved to Port Elizabeth to join the Southern Kings for a short stint during the 2018–19 Pro14 season,[32] where he made two appearances, plus one appearance for the Eastern Province Elephants in the Currie Cup.

2018–2020: New Orleans Gold

Blewett moved to the United States to join Major League Rugby side New Orleans Gold on a two-year deal.[33] Blewett returned to South Africa in 2020.

2021: Worthing Raiders

As of 2021, Blewett was playing for National League 2 South side Worthing Rugby Football Club[34]

References

  1. ↑ "SA Rugby Player Profile – Tristan Blewett". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  2. ↑ "KZN Rugby". Hilton College. 5 June 2012. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  3. ↑ "SA Rugby Squad – KZN : 2012 U16 Grant Khomo Week". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  4. ↑ "SA Rugby Squad – KwaZulu Natal : 2013 U18 Academy Week". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  5. ↑ "SA Rugby Squad – KwaZulu-Natal : 2014 U18 Craven Week". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  6. ↑ "SA Rugby Squad – Sharks U19 : 2015 Absa Under 19 Competition". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  7. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Sharks U19 17–17 Free State U19". South African Rugby Union. 24 July 2015. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  8. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Sharks U19 24–34 Eastern Province U19". South African Rugby Union. 15 August 2015. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  9. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Sharks U19 18–36 Golden Lions U19". South African Rugby Union. 22 August 2015. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  10. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Golden Lions U19 28–22 Sharks U19". South African Rugby Union. 19 September 2015. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  11. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Free State U19 41–30 Sharks U19". South African Rugby Union. 10 October 2015. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  12. ↑ "SA Rugby Top Scorers – 2015 Absa Under 19 Competition". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  13. ↑ "SA Rugby Log – 2015 Absa Under 19 Competition". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  14. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – FNB UKZN 26–18 FNB WITS". South African Rugby Union. 1 February 2016. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  15. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – FNB UKZN 58–10 FNB UFH". South African Rugby Union. 15 February 2016. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  16. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – FNB TUT 30–63 FNB UKZN". South African Rugby Union. 18 February 2016. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  17. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – FNB UKZN 16–44 FNB UWC". South African Rugby Union. 19 March 2016. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  18. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – FNB UFH 0–97 FNB UKZN". South African Rugby Union. 21 March 2016. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  19. ↑ "SA Rugby Try Scorers – 2016 FNB Varsity Shield presented by Steinhoff International". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  20. ↑ "SA Rugby Log – 2016 FNB Varsity Shield presented by Steinhoff International". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  21. ↑ "FNB UKZN docked points in the Varsity Shield" (Press release). Varsity Cup. 5 April 2016. Archived from the original on 18 April 2016. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
  22. ↑ "SA Rugby Squad – Cell C Sharks XV : 2016 Currie Cup Qualifying". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  23. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Cell C Sharks XV 48–18 Windhoek Draught Welwitschias". South African Rugby Union. 23 April 2016. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  24. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Cell C Sharks XV 16–53 Xerox Golden Lions XV". South African Rugby Union. 20 May 2016. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  25. ↑ "SA Rugby Try Scorers – 2016 SA Rugby U21 Provincial Champs". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  26. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Sharks U21 21–23 EP U21". South African Rugby Union. 12 August 2016. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  27. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Leopards U21 33–38 Sharks U21". South African Rugby Union. 20 August 2016. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  28. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Sharks U21 23–21 Blue Bulls U21". South African Rugby Union. 27 August 2016. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  29. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Sharks U21 18–24 Free State U21". South African Rugby Union. 10 September 2016. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  30. ↑ "SA Rugby Log – 2016 SA Rugby U21 Provincial Champs". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  31. ↑ "Pre-season training squad announcement" (Press release). Sharks. 31 October 2016. Archived from the original on 31 October 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  32. ↑ "Hommeltuig help Kings nou slyp". Netwerk24 (in Afrikaans). 13 September 2018. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  33. ↑ "NOLA sign South African center Tristan Blewett". Americas Rugby News. 28 September 2018. Retrieved 27 October 2018..
  34. ↑ "Worthing Raiders chief excited over new National League season". 1 July 2021. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
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