Pat never knew his parents. He is an orphan, taken in by a young couple and has lived with them ever since. As young boy he was always the odd one out as he's size drew unwanted attention, words like "Ogre" & "Green Giant" left emotional scars.
His "parents" were hard working and only wanted the best for their "son".
Growing up in Kensington, Cape Town wasn't easy but that never stopped him
from dreaming BIG. Only when going to high school did he realize that his size no longer made him the Thorn amongst the roses, It would become his "biggest asset".
His PE coach realized that a talented youngster like him should try-out at a
few sports, but the one that caught his eye was RUGBY. It allowed him to channel his frustrations and focus on team building skills. He was the youngest player ever to make the U18 first team @ 14yrs 11months & 2days. Not long after making the 1st team he was seen by a Western Province scout and went for trials. He eased through the trails & was selected for Province U15. He made such an impressive impact that at the age of 17 he was draughted into the Province Top franchise the Cape Coloureds.
His size made him an obvious choice for the forwards & he played his 1st game at 8th man. He was aw struck by players like Dax Daniels & Brice Mathews whom he'd always watched on super rugby & never imagined that he'd ever be playing with them. Now that he was playing at top tier rugby he got the best coaching money could by! After receiving numerous specialized training sessions he's skills soon started developing & he earned the name "Fast Forward".
After a few months he found out that Brice Mathews was planning on leaving & that the number 12 jersey would be vacant. He trained like a demon & eventually after Brice left he made it his own! With the change from forward to back & his massive size advantage over most backline players he soon made a name for himself & sponsorships started flooding in. Hence the nick name "The Phat CAT"
as he was the next BIG thing to come out of this already well established
franchise, which has produced a number of world class players.
The newly elected South African U20 coach saw his potential & the rest was
history as they say. His next big goal is to once again play with his former
team mate Brice Mathew, but this time wearing the Pride of the nation, the
SpringBoks, Green & Gold! Only time will tell if this talented young player
has what it takes.
The Pat Walters story - by RedFoxDan
Patience is a plaster for all sores.
"Pat Walters is a key component for the future of the South African NT, his untrainables and discipline are critical in the long term. Players with dedicated training such as Pat is getting are the future of the NT. I expect Pat to be joining his teammate Dax Daniels in the NT within the next season or two."-Cairnswm.
Will Pat be joining his former team mate Brice Mathew any time soon?