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Schoeman and DvdM look to Hollywood as they plan for life after rugby

Duhan van der Merwe and Pierre Schoeman of Scotland and JP Smith of the United States pose for a photograph after a game at Audi Field on July 12, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Caean Couto/Getty Images)

When Pierre Schoeman jokes with his Edinburgh team-mates and coaches that he’s going to play for another ten years, you suspect they would be unwise to dismiss the notion out of hand.

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The barrel-chested, human pinball of a prop may be 30 now, but he has already shown incredible durability and stamina in his first six years in Scottish rugby.

After arriving at Edinburgh in 2018, Schoeman played his 50th game for the club two months into his third season and reached his 100th early in his sixth campaign, last November.

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His first three seasons saw him play 23, 21 and 21 games respectively, 78 per cent of those as a starter. But since becoming qualified for Scotland on residency grounds in 2021, his output has gone through the roof. The last three seasons have seen him rack up, respectively, 30, 24 and 30 matches, starting in 83 per cent (70) of those 84 games.

Schoeman has featured in 34 of his adopted country’s 38 Tests since his debut against Tonga in October 2021, starting 28 of them.
The only four he wasn’t required for were a couple of Rugby World Cup warm-up matches last year, the 84-0 rout of Romania in the tournament itself and the first game of this summer’s Americas tour against Canada, all occasions when frontliners were rested and Gregor Townsend was giving fringe operators an opportunity.

Fixture
United Rugby Championship
Lions
55 - 21
Full-time
Edinburgh
All Stats and Data

It is remarkable given Schoeman’s abrasive style and the physical demands of his position that he has barely missed a game for club or country through injury during his time in Scotland.

He is as close to a permanent fixture as it is possible to be in elite rugby, and a highly productive and popular one at that.
But while the South Africa-born loosehead may yet go on to emulate the likes of compatriot Brok Harris – still going strong for the Stormers aged 39 – he has already made plans for life after rugby.

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Earlier this year Schoeman and Edinburgh and Scotland team-mate Duhan van der Merwe, who have known each other for a decade since they started out with the Bulls, launched their own whisky brand, ‘Against the Grain’.

“It was actually my wife who had the idea of the name,” Schoeman explained. “I wanted to use it for maybe a book after rugby, as a biography or something, but then I spoke to Duhan and asked if he wanted to join this idea. He said he loved the proposal and he was on board.

“It just suits both our stories: going against the grain from South Africa to Scotland and Edinburgh and embracing it. And we wanted to give something back to our friends, family and fans to enjoy while we are playing and long after we are playing.”

Schoeman says their business project has been a success so far, with the first two limited releases selling out and their next – a 12-year-old malt whisky – launching next month.

“The first job is rugby, but the more it rains in Edinburgh, the better it is for us because today’s rain is tomorrow’s whisky,” he quips. “Both our wives – Duhan’s wife Nika and my wife Charissa – are working very hard behind the scenes supporting us so we can just play rugby and do our best as professionals because that’s our main job.

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“But it is nice to have this whole thing going – just as a passion – and it is going very well.”

If Schoeman has done plenty to elevate Scotland’s status in the rugby world with his dynamic on-field displays, he admits he won’t be shy about using the connections he has made since his arrival to advance his off-field interests.

“We might even get footballers, cricketers or movie stars involved because rugby connects people worldwide,” he said about his future plans for the venture.

“I know (Scottish actor) Sam Heughan from Outlander. He’s a massive fan of Duhan and I but we are massive fans of him firstly. He has his own whisky as well, which is amazing. We’ve seen (Hollywood A-lister) Gerald Butler around Scotland camp and at matches so we could push the boat out and get him on board.

“Another good friend of ours is (6ft 8in British actor and bodybuilder) Martyn Ford. He was at three of the Six Nations games and comes to watch Edinburgh too. They call him the ‘world’s scariest man’ and he’s been in a few A-list movies but I’m name dropping now! Maybe we can get someone famous like Blair Kinghorn in Toulouse to keep all the French fans happy!

“People in South Africa love whisky through hunting, fishing and the outdoors. So do all our friends in Scotland on a cold evening with a glass of whisky around the fire or watching the game.

“We might one day enjoy a glass while watching our kids play rugby in Scotland. You have to use these opportunities while you play to add value to life after rugby, but it can’t be a distraction. It just made sense for Duhan and I. He’s getting even more into the peat whiskies because he’s not really one for strong whisky – he likes the light stuff.”

Fixture
Internationals
Scotland
57 - 17
Full-time
Fiji
All Stats and Data

If Schoeman sneaked a bottle into his luggage for Edinburgh’s current mini-tour of South Africa, there has been no cause for a celebratory dram yet.

Last Saturday’s 22-16 defeat by the Bulls in Pretoria may have gleaned a losing bonus point, but it was another missed opportunity for Sean Everitt’s side following an equally frustrating 31-33 home defeat by Leinster on opening night.

Edinburgh could do with a victory over the Lions in Johannesburg this Saturday – no easy feat at altitude, for a second successive week – if their stated ambitions of a top-four finish in the URC are not to disappear over the horizon with the season still in its infancy.

“I strongly believe we are a top-four team in the URC,” added Schoeman. “That’s our goal. We are disappointed that we didn’t beat Leinster and the Bulls, we could have easily won both. Without beating ourselves up over it, we need to use our opportunities to score.

“We are confident going into the Lions game that we can beat them, but it is going to take graft. They have a good scrum and also some really good athletes, especially in the backline and the back row as well.

“So we know what to expect and we know we have to match them – but I have a really good feeling. We are confident, we have clarity and we just have to execute on Saturday to take our opportunities.”

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J
JW 2 hours ago
Six former All Blacks eligible for new nations in 2025

He wasn't, he was only there a couple of years. Don't get me wrong, he's a player of promise, but without ever having a season at 10 at that level, one could hardly ever think he would be in line to take over.


But if you really want to look at your question deeper, we get to that much fabled "production line" of the Crusaders. I predict you'll know what I mean when I say, Waikato, Waikato, Queensland.


I don't know everything about him (or his area I mean) but sure, it wouldnt have just been Razor that invested in him, and that's not to say he's the only 10 to have come out of that academy in the last half dozen years/decade since Mo'unga, but he is probably the best. So it's a matter of there having been no one else why it was so easy for people to picture him being razors heir apparent (no doubt he holds him in more high regard than the blurb/reference of his recently published though). And in general there is very much a no paching policy at that level which you may not appreciate .


For England? Really? That's interesting. I had just assumed he was viewed as club man and that national aspect was just used to entice him over. I mean he could stil be used by Scotland given I wouldn't expect them to have a whole lot of depth even thoe fh's one of their strongest positions at the moment. But certainly not England.


Personally I still think that far more likely was the reason. He would/could have done the same for Crusaders and NZ, just without half as much in his pocket. And as an individual I certainly don't think he'd have chosen England over the All Blacks (as a tru blue kiwi i mean), and he of all people should know where he sits. He said he wants to play internationally, so I take that at face value, he didn't think that could be for NZ, and he might have underestimated (or been mislead by McCall) England (and Scotland really), or have already chosen Scotland at the time, as seems the case from talk of his addition.


Again though, he's a player who I'd happily rate outside the trifecta of Barrett/McKenzie/Mo'unga in basic ability , even on par with foreign players like Plummer, Sopoaga, Ioane, and ahead of a bunch in his era like Falcon, Trask, Reihana. I've done the same thing >.< excluding Perofeta from the 10 debate. Hes probably below him but I think pero is a 15 now.

31 Go to comments
J
JW 4 hours ago
Six former All Blacks eligible for new nations in 2025

What do you mean should?


Are you asking these questions because you think they are important reasons a player should decide to represent a country?


I think that is back the front. They are good reasons why someone 'would' be able to choose Fiji (say in the case of Mo'unga's cousin who the Drua brought into their environment), but not reason's why they "should". Those need to be far more personal imo.


If you think it was me suggesting he "should" play for Fiji, I certainly wasn't suggesting that. I was merely suggesting he would/could because ther'ye very close to his heart with his dad having represented them.


I did go on to say the right sort of environment should be created to encourage them to want to represent Fiji (as with case of their european stars it's always a fine balance between wanting to play for them and other factors (like compared with personal develop at their club). but that is also not trying to suggest those players should want to play for Fiji simply because you make the prospect better, you're simply allowing for it to happen.


TLDR I actually sent you to the wrong post, I was thinking more about my reply to HU's sentiments with yours. Instead of running you around I'll just paste it in

What's wrong with that? Hoskins Sotutu could be selected for the Maori All Blacks, then go on latter and move to England and represent them, then once his career in England (no longer at that standard) is over move to Japan and finish his career playing for Fiji. Why should he not be able to represent any or all of those teams?

Actually I can't remember if it was that message or whether it indeed was my hypothetical Fiji example that I wanted to suggest would improve the International game, not cheapen it.


I suppose I have to try and explain that idea further now. So you say it cheapens the game. They game is already "cheap" when a nation like Fiji is only really allowed to get their full team going in a WC year. Or even it's the players themselves only caring about showing up in a WC year. To me this is a problem because a Fiji campaign/season isn't comparable to their competitors (in a situation where they're say ranked in the top 8. Take last year for instance. Many stars were absent of the Pacific Nations Cup, for whatever reason, but hey, when their team is touring a big EU nation like England or Ireland, wow suddenly theyre a high profile team again and they get the stars back.


Great right? No. Having those players come back was probably detrimental to the teams performance. My idea of having Sotutu and Bower encouraged (directly or indirectly) to play for Fiji is merely as a means to an end, to give the Flying Fijians the profile to both enrich and more accurately reflect the international game. You didn't really state what you dislike but it's easy to guess, and yes, this idea does utilize that aspect which does devalue the game in other cases, so I wanted to see if this picture would change that in this example (just and idea I was throwing out their, like I also said in my post, I don't actually think Sotutu or any of these players are going anywhere, even Ioane might still be hopeful of being slected).


The idea again, raise the visibility on the PNC so that can stand as a valued tournament on it's own and not require basic funded by WR to continue, but not enough to involve all the best players (even Japan treated it as a chance to play it's amatuers). Do this by hosting the PI island pool in places like Melbourne every other year, include some very high profile and influential team in it like an All Black team, and yes, by the nations getting together and creating ways to increase it's popularity by say asking individuals like Sotutu and Bower to strength it's marketability, with the hopeful follow on affect that stars like Botia and Radradra always want to (and can) represent their country. With Fiji as the example, but do it with Samoa and Tonga as well. They will need NZ and Aus (Japan) assistance to make a reality imo.


I don't believe this cheapens the game, I believe it makes it more valued as you're giving players the choice of who they chose to play for rather than basing it off money. Sotutu would never have forgone his paycheck to play for Fiji instead of NZ at the beginning, so you should viewed his current choice as 'cheap'

31 Go to comments
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