Sergio Torrens

Torrens was born in Bishop Lavis in Cape Town. He was selected to represent Western Province's Under-18 at the 2008 Academy Week tournament[2] and also made six starts on the left wing for their Under-19 team in the 2009 Under-19 Provincial Championship, scoring a try in their victory over the Golden Lions U19s.[3]

He dropped out of provincial rugby for a number of years, but appeared in nationwide amateur competitions on two occasions – in 2011, Torrens was a member of the UWC squad that participated in the inaugural Varsity Shield competition,[4] while in 2013, he played for Durban-based College Rovers in the SARU Community Cup.[5] He started in each of his team's matches in the latter competition, scoring tries against Despatch,[6] Sishen (two tries)[7] and Walmers[8] in Pool A of the initial round of the competition to help his side qualify for the finals tournament, and he also scored against Durbanville-Bellville in the quarter finals,[9] Brakpan in the semi-finals[10] and Despatch in the final,[11] falling just short by losing 24–26 to the team from the Eastern Cape.

During his time in Durban, he also played rugby sevens, representing the Sharks and also being included in an Emerging Boks side.[12]

Torrens followed College Rovers head coach Robert du Preez to Potchefstroom when the latter was appointed as the coach of the Leopards. He made his first class debut for the Leopards XV in their 2014 Vodacom Cup match against the Golden Lions XV in a 16–18 defeat,[13] the first of seven consecutive starts in the competition that saw the Leopards XV finish in fifth position on the Northern Section log.[14] His Currie Cup debut followed a couple of months later as the Leopards attempted to qualify for the 2014 Currie Cup Premier Division through a qualification series; he came on as a replacement in their 51–23 victory over the SWD Eagles[15] before starting at outside centre in their 45–22 victory over the Falcons a week later.[16] He made four more appearances off the bench for the remainder of the qualifying series, as the Leopards fell just short, losing out on a spot in the Premier Division by a single point to Griquas.[17] Instead, the team played in the First Division, with Torrens featuring in their final three matches of the regular season, scoring his first senior try in a 50–29 victory over the Falcons.[18] The Leopards finished top of the log[19] to qualify for a home semi-final against the same opposition, but the team from Kempton Park sprung a surprise by winning the match 31–24, with Torrens coming on for the final twenty minutes of the match.[20]

Torrens made six starts for the Leopards XV during the 2015 Vodacom Cup, scoring tries against the Limpopo Blue Bulls,[21] Pumas[22] and a brace against Western Province in a 22–47 defeat,[23] with his four tries being the second-most by a Leopards player.[24] He took his try-scoring form into the Currie Cup qualification series, scoring in their 45–17 victory in their opening match.[25] That turned out to be his final match for the Leopards as injury ruled him out for the remainder of the season. The Leopards once again lost out on qualification for the Premier Division by a single point to Griquas,[26] but dominated the First Division, winning all of their matches, including the final, where they beat the SWD Eagles 44–20.[27]

After the 2015 season, Torrens moved back to his native Western Cape to join Wellington-based side Boland Cavaliers. He made the right-wing position his own, starting thirteen of Boland's fourteen matches in the 2016 Currie Cup qualification series in that position. He scored seven tries in the competition[28] – two against former side the Leopards,[29] two against Namibian side the Welwitschias in a 110–10 victory,[30] two in his very next match against the Blue Bulls in Pretoria[31] and one try against a Golden Lions XV in their final match of the competition[32] The Cavaliers finished the qualifying competition in third position,[33] clinching a spot in the Premier Division for the first time since 2009.