Introduction
Daniel Cornelius Roberts (born 20 January 1992 in Heidelberg, South Africa) is a South African rugby union player, who most recently played with theSWD Eagles. He is a utility back that usually plays as a fly-half or fullback, but has also started matches as a centre and winger.
Career
Youth
Roberts first earned a provincial call-up in 2010, when he was included in the SWD Eagles' Under-18 Academy Week squad. Later in the same year, he also featured for theSWD U19 side in the 2010 Under-19 Provincial Championship. He ended as their joint-second top scorer in the competition, helping them to third position on the log, a 37–29 victory against thePumas U19 in the semi-final and a 27–20 victory overFalcons U19 in the final to win the competition. They also won promotion to Group A, beating theGriffons U19 in a promotion play-off.
He was still eligible to represent newly promotedSWD U19 in Group A of the 2011 Under-19 Provincial Championship. He started all twelve of their matches during the campaign, but his side found it hard to adjust to the higher league, losing all twelve of their matches. He scored one try in their match against theBlue Bulls U19 and also played in their relegation play-off match against theGriffons U19, with SWD winning 18–14 to remain in Group A.
Roberts was named in the seniorSWD Eagles squad for the 2012 Currie Cup First Division and was named on the bench for their match against theBoland Cavaliers, but failed to appear during the 21–21 draw. He made six appearances forSWD U21 during the 2012 Under-21 Provincial Championship, helping the side reach the final of the competition. He scored SWD U21s' only try of the match as they lost 10–24 toEastern Province U21 in the final in Port Elizabeth.
SWD Eagles
His first class debut came during the 2013 Vodacom Cup competition; he came on as a replacement in their 10–52 loss to theEastern Province Kings and also appeared againstWestern Province a week later.
Despite still being eligible to play for theSWD U21 side in the second half of 2013, he broke into the first team picture during the 2013 Currie Cup First Division. He made his Currie Cup debut – and first start at first class level – for the side in their 36–12 victory against theBorder Bulldogs in East London in the opening round of the competition. He made a total of eight appearances during the competition as his side clinched a semi-final spot, where they lost to thePumas.
Roberts was mainly used as a centre during the 2014 Vodacom Cup, starting all eight of theSWD Eagles' matches in the competition. He scored his first senior try in the second minute of their Round Two clash with Kenyan sideSimba XV and followed it up with his second an hour later. He scored a third try in their match againstWestern Province to end the season in third spot on the log to claim a quarter final spot. They were eliminated at that stage byGriquas who ran out comfortable 84–15 winners.
He then played in the 2014 Currie Cup qualification series, a competition which would reward the winner with a spot in the 2014 Currie Cup Premier Division. Roberts made four appearances and scored a try in their match againstBoland Cavaliers, but his side could only finish in fourth spot to play in the 2014 Currie Cup First Division. He made five appearances in that competition, getting a brace of tries in their 31–22 victory over theBorder Bulldogs. The SWD Eagles finished third to reach the semi-finals, where they lost 43–45 to eventual champions theGriffons.
Two appearances followed in the 2015 Vodacom Cup, where his side again reached the quarter final stage.