WHETHER it is netting an array of colourful small fish or getting waist deep in water to pull a shark out by its tail, keen fisherman Nick Schonert is used to coming home with something to show for his efforts.
But the talented tighthead, who left the coast of South Africa for landlocked Worcester last summer, still feels his best catch had yet to arrive – and believes it could come in the form of a Greene King IPA Championship winners trophy.
The 23-year-old’s passion for fishing, which developed in his home town of Durban, has even seen him being branded the nickname ‘Sharky’ by his Warriors team-mates.
“At the beginning of the year we were all getting to know each other and they asked me what I did for a hobby, so I said I go fishing,” Schonert said.
“They then asked what I had caught, so I showed them a few pictures of me holding a few fish and one of them was of me holding a shark.
“I then explained that you had to get in waist deep in water before pulling it out by its tail as the line would just snap.
“James Percival, who is the biggest clown, then added so much spice to it and gave me the nickname ‘Sharky’ which has just stuck ever since.”
Schonert, who was part of South Africa’s IRB Junior World Championships side in 2011, said fishing was something which he did to take his mind off rugby.
“I do enjoy my fishing,” he said. “It is something that I used to do in my spare time. Usually after training I would go and fish for the three or four hours to go as it got my mind completely off the game.
“In South Africa, you can get sharks and flatfish as there are so many different species you can catch.
The promising front row said it was difficult to leave that life in South Africa behind him and he admitted some of his friends did question his move as he had spent a year at Super 15 side Cheetahs.
But Schonert firmly believes he made the right choice to join Worcester and said claiming the Championship title would help him to prove a point.
“It has been a long season and I want something to show for it,” Schonert said.
“When we have our five-week break in the summer, I want to be able to go back home and tell everyone that we had made it into the Premiership.
“It would be a dream come true to go back home with the trophy so I can show my parents and my family that I can achieve stuff.
“I also want to go back and say to the guys who said it was a strange decision to leave home for so long, that I accomplished something which will be a massive morale boost for me.”