Following a frustrating spell at the Sharks, Jordan Chait has rediscovered his fire at the Seattle Seawolves and is striving to play his best rugby. DYLAN JACK reports.
Having recently completed a move from the Tel Aviv Heat to Major League Rugby’s Seattle Seawolves, Chait marked his MLR debut with a man-of-the-match performance in the season opener against New York.
Alpha Back of the Match! ?@VMFHealth
In his MLR debut: Jordan Chait showed an impressive 6 Penalty Kicks — which lead us into the second half with 18 points — with 766 meters kicked in week one!#TogetherWeHunt pic.twitter.com/QLLDJ2Oky2
— Seattle Seawolves Rugby (@SeawolvesRugby) February 21, 2023
“It went really well,” Chait told SARugbymag.co.za. “It was amazing to play at home in front of the Seattle fans who are extremely passionate. I haven’t seen fans that are so passionate about rugby in a long time. It was an amazing first game.
Johan Momsen, Jordan Chait and Duncan Matthews all make the @usmlr Team of the Week for Round 1#SaffasAbroad | #MLR2023 pic.twitter.com/tKbLipjJHo
— Darren (@SaffasRugby) February 21, 2023
“The transition hasn’t been too bad. At the Tel Aviv Heat, we travelled quite a lot because we played all over Europe. Every second week we were in a new country. It was awesome, jumping in and out of hotels. It’s busy but really enjoyable. You get to see amazing places.
“Now Im in Seattle and it’s been quite nice to settle down for six months – it’s a six-month season. I have an amazing view of the city, and I am just really excited for the next few months here. It’s a great way to travel the States and see different cities.”
The son of former Western Province flyhalf Anton, Jordan Chait grew up in Cape Town and was part of the SACS 1st XV that claimed a historic 13-10 victory over the mighty Affies at the Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival in 2015.
After school, he helped Maties defend their Varsity Cup title in 2019 and looked destined to take the next step in his career when he signed for the Sharks in 2020. However, as he recalls, things did not pan out the way he wanted.
“After Maties, I got signed by the Sharks. It was a frustrating two-and-a-half, three years for me. The first year was during the pandemic, so there was not much rugby played. Then I struggled to gain momentum during the period I was there. I picked up injuries at crucial times, which didn’t help things. I didn’t get any run of games and just struggled to get any sort of momentum, which was really frustrating and mentally tough.
“Although it did not go as I wanted, I don’t regret moving there. I learned and grew a hell of a lot as a player. My game definitely improved. I don’t regret heading up to Durban at all.”
In 2021, Chait got the opportunity to experience a different side of rugby with a three-month loan to Tel Aviv Heat. That turned into a permanent move and he joined a multicultural team stacked with South Africans, Fijians and Brits that competed in the European Super Cup.
During his time with Tel Aviv, Chait helped the Heat qualify for the Super Cup final, where they were beaten by Georgian side Black Lion, and even got to claim a memorable victory over English giants Saracens in an exhibition match in London.
“You go through such highs and lows in this game,” he said. “The one week you are on top of the world, playing well and winning games and the next week you are losing or injured. I went through a few stages in Durban when I struggled mentally. I sort of lost my enjoyment of the game.
“That was a big reason why I wanted to give the Tel Aviv Heat a crack. I am so happy I did it because it was an amazing experience and I enjoyed my rugby again. We had such an awesome vibe. We had guys singing on the bus every day. It was just awesome to be in another country and we did a lot of travelling, so I loved my time there. I also got to work with Demetri Catrakilis, who I have become quite close with and learned quite a bit from him when it came to my kicking game. I will be forever grateful for the help he has given me.
“I am mentally in a great place now which is awesome. At the moment, I am just wanting to enjoy it and take every week as it comes. I still have that fire in me to play at the highest level and to compete. I am a competitive person by nature. There is still that fire in me but I am just wanting to live in the present and not look too far ahead.”
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Photo: Gallo Images