After a fairly tumultuous 2022 season, both on and off the field, Southern Districts set out to rediscover their identity in 2023. 

Results didn’t go their way, but captain Phil Potgeiter is adamant the club made progress this year and seems confident that a new coach in Joe Barakat next season can lead his side towards finals footy. 

Overview with Phil Potgeiter: 

“We always knew that it was going to be a bit of a rebuilding year at the club this year,” Souths captain Phil Potgeiter told Rugby News. 

“Knowing that, I know one of my big goals for the season was to to enjoy my rugby again and to get as much enjoyment out of the season as possible and even though the results didn’t go our way, I think the majority of our playing group would say that they were able to do that this year. 

“We never stopped fighting and the vast majority of the losses we had this year were tight losses, which shows we’re not a long way off. 

“I think we rediscovered our identity as a club and as a side and I felt there was a lot more community engagement compared to previous seasons. 

“Results are what matter in sport and I’m not hiding away from that, but I do think we made some progress this year and I think we’ll build on that next year and in the years to come. 

“Across the board, I think we had plenty of talent this year but we probably hadn’t spent enough time playing together to perform as well as you need to perform to compete in this competition. 

“We didn’t have a lot of depth and injuries hurt us throughout the season but as a group, we all really enjoyed each others company and that is why we all kept turning up and working hard all year. 

“I don’t think it’s a coincidence that we beat Hunter twice this year. They were the only side with two grades and it meant that we could have a full bench for both of those matches. 

“We weren’t able to do that in other rounds because we didn’t have the depth but it makes a massive difference when you can bring fresh players on in the 60th or 70th minute, particularly when the other side is doing the same. 

“Our strength as a team has always been through our scrum and maul and when we won this year, it was on the back of good performances in those areas. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to do it enough this season.” 

What needs to happen at Souths between now and round one next year?

“We need to increase our depth and numbers from first grade right through to fourth grade. You can’t have guys playing two grades back to back in a competition as strong as this. 

“It’s not fun and it ruins the experience for a lot of players. 

“If we can build depth, we know we’ve got enough quality to compete. I honestly believe we’re good enough to compete with the best and make the top six. 

“We’ll have a new coach come in ahead of next season and now that we all know exactly what our identity is, I’m looking forward to building on the work we did this season.”

Is there a player at your club ready to take the next step in their career? 

“Our fullback Issac Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens is incredible. I can’t believe he’s not playing professional rugby somewhere,” Potgeiter told Rugby News. 

“I’ve been lucky to play with and against some very good rugby players over the years both in Australia and overseas but I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone with as much raw talent as Issac. 

“There have been a few bites from Super teams and he deserves it but he’s planning on returning to Souths next year if he doesn’t pick anything up. 

“Archie Hosking was also really impressive in the backrow for us. He’s only 22 and a lot of people don’t realise that. He’s also planning to come back in 2024.”

What can we expect in 2024? 

“The last two to three years haven’t been up to the standard that we expect at Southern Districts. 

“For me personally, I’m competitive and I really hate losing and that sentiment is shared throughout the playing group. 

“Whoever comes in as coach, I’m sure they’ll be the same and I think we’ll set the goal of playing finals footy next year. I think that’s a minimum of what we should be aiming for as a club. 

“Once you’re in the finals, anything can happen and I’m looking forward to proving that to our loyal supporters and our community next season.”