Quick tap with Paul de Wet

Scrumhalf Paul de Wet talks about his love of fishing, his family’s need for speed and his favourite bands.

How is the injury rehab progressing? Have you found anything else to occupy your time while you recover?

It is really going well, we have been training intensely for the last two weeks and have had our own mini pre-season at the HPC so hopefully I will be back soon. I have fished a lot over the last few weeks. I went to Stilbaai to go visit my father last weekend and we caught some really nice fish, so that was lekker, relaxing there and spending some time next to the water.

You are a keen fisherman, what is it about fishing that you love so much and do you have a preference for freshwater or saltwater?

I definitely would choose saltwater over freshwater. I’m not that into freshwater Angling. It is more about the escape, the peacefulness and getting in touch with nature a bit. That is the main thing for me. When you are there you are not thinking too much about anything, you are just focusing on trying to catch a fish. There are thrills and challenges that come with catching a fish, it is much more than just killing it and eating it. That’s not why I do it, it is very rewarding and has its own unique challenges.

Your father Bertie played for DHL Western Province on the wing in the 1980s. How involved has he been in your rugby and do you think you are quicker than he was?

I’m definitely not faster than he was! My younger brother got the speed, not me. He has been a really big role model for me. He is really supportive and doesn’t put a lot of pressure on me. He just wants me to play the brand of rugby I believe in and stay the same player I have always been. Obviously he loves rugby and we talk a lot of rugby. I have been through some tough times with injuries and he has really been a rock for me.

You are often mentioned among the fastest players in the squad. Which teammates would you put in your 4x100m relay team?

I don’t know about being one of the fastest players in the group, but I’ll take that! For my relay team I’ll probably have to go with the back three. Zassy (Leolin Zas), Ben Loader and Angelo (Davids). Those three guys will make a mean team.

If you could have one band come and play at DHL Stadium after a game, which one would it be?

It would definitely be Pink Floyd, that is probably my favourite band of all time. I’m obsessed with them so I think it would be really cool hearing them live. If they can’t come then I’ll just have to stick to Fokofpolisiekar, they would probably be my number two choice.