A young Claremont sportsman needs help to reach his goal of representing the country in touch rugby at the FIT Atlantic Youth Cup in Nottingham, England, this July.
Josch Paulsen, a 20-year-old law student, plays rugby for False Bay Rugby Club and represents Western Province in touch rugby.
While Mr Paulsen played hockey, indoor hockey, rugby and a bit of cricket during his schooling years at Wynberg Boys’ Junior School, it was touch rugby that he chose to give all his focus to. He played for the under-15 touch rugby school team in 2018 and was selected for the Western Province under-15 team the same year, and he continued to make every Western Province age group following that.
Mr Paulsen comes from a sporting family. His father, Mark Paulsen, represented the country in volleyball and softball. His brothers, Daniel and Jordan, also played hockey and rugby at school, and the latter represents Western Province for under-16 hockey.
Mr Paulsen heard he had been selected for the under-20 men’s touch rugby team, after making the “most valuable player” at the South African Touch Association’s Junior Inter-Provincial Tournament in March last year.
“The fact that I have the chance to represent my country in the sport that I love, it is just mind blowing. When I heard about it I could not believe that I made the team, that I have an opportunity to go, so I am just hoping and praying I will be able to go.”
He needs to raise R65 000 for his travel, living expenses and other costs and is appealing to the public to support his BackaBuddy campaign.
