Jarryd Sage


Jarryd Christopher Sage is a Welsh-qualified South African rugby union player, currently playing with Welsh Pro14 side the Dragons. His regular position is centre. Sage qualifies for Wales through his father, who was born in Newbridge within the Dragons' region.

Rugby career

Youth Rugby / Western Province

Sage was born in Cape Town, where he attended Wynberg Boys' High School. He earned provincial colours at school level, representing Western Province at the Under-18 Craven Week competition in 2013.
He represented the team in the Under-19 Provincial Championship in the same year, as returned in 2014 as a member of the Western Province Rugby Institute.
He was included in the squad for the 2015 Varsity Cup, and the Western Province squad for the 2015 Vodacom Cup, but didn't feature in either competition. In the latter half of the year, he played for the team in the Under-21 Provincial Championship, scoring a try for the team in their match against en route to finishing top of the log, and eventually winning the title, beating 52–17 in the final.

Golden Lions

For the 2016 season, Sage moved to Johannesburg to join the. He scored three tries in thirteen appearances for the in the 2016 Currie Cup qualification series, and a further two tries for the team in the 2016 Under-21 Provincial Championship in the second half of the season, including the decisive try in the final to help his side to a 38–34 victory over former side Western Province.
He made nine appearances for the in the 2017 Rugby Challenge, helping his side to the semi-finals of the competition. He was included in the Currie Cup squad for the 2017 season and made his debut in that competition in their 36–43 defeat to the, making three starts in total.

Southern Kings / Eastern Province Kings

In August 2017, Sage moved to Port Elizabeth to join a team about to embark on their first Pro14 campaign. He did not feature during the start of their season – instead making three appearances for the in the 2017 Currie Cup First Division – but made his debut in their eighth match of the season, a 36–43 defeat to Irish side Ulster in KwaZakele, his only appearance for the team.

Dragons

In November 2017, Welsh side Dragons announced that Sage would make the move to Newport to join the team.

Personal life

Sage is the grandson of Doug Hopwood, a rugby player that represented the South Africa national rugby union team in 22 test matches between 1961 and 1965. His older brother Dylan is also a professional rugby union player, representing the South Africa Sevens team since 2015.