Armandt Koster

Armandt Koster
Date of birth (1990-01-20) 20 January 1990 (age 34)
Place of birthVryheid, South Africa
Height1.94 m (6 ft 4+1⁄2 in)
Weight114 kg (17 st 13 lb; 251 lb)
SchoolHoërskool Pionier, Vryheid
UniversityUniversity of the Free State
Rugby union career
Position(s) Flanker / Lock
Youth career
2011 Free State Cheetahs
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
2012–2015 UFS Shimlas 14 (10)
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2012 Free State XV 2 (0)
2012–2015 Griffons 28 (15)
2015–2018 Free State Cheetahs 15 (0)
2016–2019 Cheetahs 15 (0)
2016 Free State XV 7 (0)
2018–2020 Bayonne 13 (0)
Correct as of 22 April 2018

Armandt Koster (born 20 January 1990) is a South African professional rugby union player.[1] His regular position is flanker or lock.

Career

Youth and Varsity Cup rugby

Koster was included in the Free State U21 squad for the 2011 Under-21 Provincial Championship, but didn't make any appearances for them. In 2012, he was included in the UFS Shimlas squad for the 2012 Varsity Cup. He played seven times for Shimlas, scoring tries in their matches against TUT Vikings[2] and NWU Pukke.[3] He returned to make two substitute appearances during the 2013 Varsity Cup and started in five matches for Shimlas during the 2014 Varsity Cup.

Free State

After his first season of Varsity Cup rugby, he was included in the Free State XV squad for the 2012 Vodacom Cup. He made his first class debut when he played off the bench in their match against the Sharks XV in Bloemfontein.[4] A week later, he started their next match against the Eastern Province Kings in Port Elizabeth,[5] but that turned out to be his only two appearances for the Bloemfontein-based side.

Griffons

Koster joined Welkom-based side Griffons for the 2012 Currie Cup First Division competition. He made his Currie Cup debut in their 53–33 victory over the Border Bulldogs in East London.[6] Three more appearances off the bench followed before Koster started the final two matches of the season, both of those against the Pumas – first a 39–29 victory for the Griffons in the final match of the regular season[7] and then in the semi-final, where the Griffons lost 37–30.[8]

Koster started five matches for the Griffons during the 2013 Vodacom Cup competition and returned for the 2014 Vodacom Cup competition, where he made three appearances. He made six appearances for the Griffons during the 2014 Currie Cup qualification competition; during this competition, he scored his first senior try in their match against the Leopards[9] and followed it up with further tries in their next two matches against the Border Bulldogs[10] and the Falcons.[11] The Griffons finished third in the competition to remain in the First Division in 2014.

Koster appeared in all seven of the Griffons' matches in the 2014 Currie Cup First Division campaign to help them finish the group stage in second place behind the Leopards. He started their semi-final match against the SWD Eagles, where the Griffons ran out 45–43 winners[12] and was once again in the starting line-up for the final against the Falcons. He played the full 80 minutes of the match as the Griffons ran out 23–21 winners[13] to win their first silverware for six years.[14]

Shortly after the conclusion of the 2014 Currie Cup First Division, Koster was also included in the Cheetahs' wider training squad as part of their preparations for the 2015 Super Rugby season.[15]

Grenoble

Koster joined French Pro D2 side Grenoble,[16] but failed a medical when he was diagnosed with a cervical disc herniation and returned to South Africa for surgery.[17]

References

  1. ^ "SA Rugby Player Profile – Armandt Koster". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
  2. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Shimlas 56–36 TUT". South African Rugby Union. 12 March 2012. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
  3. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Pukke 64–24 Shimlas". South African Rugby Union. 19 March 2012. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
  4. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Toyota Free State XV 38–51 Sharks XV". South African Rugby Union. 23 March 2012. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
  5. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Eastern Province Kings 36–22 Toyota Free State XV". South African Rugby Union. 30 March 2012. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
  6. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Border Bulldogs 33–53 Griffons". South African Rugby Union. 31 August 2012. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
  7. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Ford Pumas 29–39 Griffons". South African Rugby Union. 28 September 2012. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
  8. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Ford Pumas 37–30 Griffons". South African Rugby Union. 5 October 2012. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
  9. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Leopards 70–25 Down Touch Griffons". South African Rugby Union. 5 July 2014. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
  10. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Border 15–41 Down Touch Griffons". South African Rugby Union. 11 July 2014. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
  11. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Down Touch Griffons 29–20 Valke". South African Rugby Union. 18 July 2014. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
  12. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Down Touch Griffons 45–43 SWD Eagles". South African Rugby Union. 3 October 2014. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
  13. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Down Touch Griffons 23–21 Valke". South African Rugby Union. 17 October 2014. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
  14. ^ "Currie Cup Griffons win First Division title". Sport24. 17 October 2014. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  15. ^ "Cheetahs invite Boela to train". Sport24. 22 October 2014. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
  16. ^ "Armandt Koster, dernière recrue de l'été" (Press release) (in French). FC Grenoble Rugby. 7 July 2017. Archived from the original on 13 August 2017. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
  17. ^ "Koster sál weer kan speel na nekoperasie". Netwerk24 (in Afrikaans). 13 December 2017. Retrieved 15 December 2017.