Hailing from Swellendam in the Western Cape, Curtis Jonas made the decision to enrol at Glenwood High School in Durban, one of KwaZulu-Natal’s premier rugby institutions. As a boarder, Jonas thrived in the intensity of Glenwood’s conditioning programme, and soon his strength and physical presence mirrored his raw speed and agility. Rewarded with selection for the Natal Sharks’ U16 Grant Khomo Week team of 2012, he repeated the feat with performances at the U18 Academy Week and U18 Craven Week of 2013 and 2014, respectively. It was in his school 1^st XV that Curtis grabbed the most attention though; leading the effort to transform Glenwood’s reputation from conservative tight-five focused, to an expansive free-flowing attacking threat.

Jonas’ willingness to take the ball flat led to a contract from the Golden Lions, and a then 19-year-old Curtis made his senior professional debut in the 2016 Currie Cup Qualifiers. After consecutive campaigns in the U19 and U21 Currie Cups, Jonas returned home to Cape Town and turned out for Hamilton’s RFC, before a short spell in Durban at College Rovers resulted in a call up for the Natal Sharks Club XV. Blessed with a sidestep that drew worldwide social media attention, the gamebreaker sought a fresh challenge at Connemara RFC, one of Connacht’s premier clubs.