There was plenty of controversy surrounding our dream team selection (there always is), but thanks to the fantastic stats and record keeping of the tournament organizers we were very much able to select a team based on data rather than personal opinion.

So, when deciding upon our player of the tournament we went back to the data, but we realized that tweaks were almost certainly needed as tactical changes mean advantages to players who have played more minutes.

When looking at soccer/football stats, per 90 measurements are in place for certain KPA’s and when undergoing this type of analysis it is clear that Cameron was easily the top performer in the competition from a statistical viewpoint.

Hanekom began his career at Paarl Boys, one of South Africa’s famed rugby nurseries. Part of various EPD squads, it was clear he was a player on the radar of SARU in terms of an elite pathway. 2020 was almost certainly to be a year where he would showcase his immense talent but the situation of course put an end to that.

He was signed at the Bulls amongst a host of number 8’s, many questioned whether Cam could hold up against such competition but he did more than that and made the Bulls 8 jersey his own. 2022 has been a fairytale year for the youngster with a try on debut for the Bulls senior team, an under 20 SARU Cup and now the Summer Series all under his belt.

Now you know about Hanekom the player in terms of his playing background, let’s look at Hanekom from a stats perspective looking at positional KPA’s.

*Please note than per minute rankings only apply to players who have played more than 100 minutes during the competition

TOTAL TRIES (2)

Overall Ranking: Tied 3^rd

Positional Ranking: Tied 2^nd

TRIES PER MINUTE (0.1399)

Overall Ranking: 8^th

 Positional Ranking: 1^st

METERS MADE (210.7)

Overall Ranking: 27^th

Positional Ranking: 5^th

METERS PER MINUTE (1.47)

Overall Ranking: 3^rd

Positional Ranking: 1^st

CARRIES (30)

Overall Ranking: Tied 14^th

Positional Ranking: 7^th

CARRIES PER MINUTE (0.210)

Overall Ranking: 2^nd

Positional Ranking: 2^nd

OFFLOADS (2)

Overall Ranking: Tied 6^th

Positional Ranking: Tied 3^rd

OFFLOADS PER MINUTE (0.14)

Overall Ranking: 20^th

Positional Ranking: 3^rd

BROKEN TACKLES (6)

Overall Ranking: 10^th

Positional Ranking: Tied 5^th

BROKEN TACKLES PER MINUTE (0.45)

Overall Ranking: Tied 6^th

Positional Ranking: 3^rd