Born and raised in Durban, Jody Jenneker attended Durban High School and first donned the Natal Sharks jersey in the U21 Currie Cup of 2005. A Super Rugby debut followed against the Chiefs in 2006, but it was in the senior Currie Cup that Jenneker was able to learn from the best in the business. Under the tutelage of Springbok legends, John Smit and Bismarck du Plessis, Jody’s impressive run of domestic form culminated in a call-up to Emerging Springbok team, where he thrived on the intensity of international competition.

Seeking a new challenge, Jenneker signed with Dijon in Fédérale 1, where he soon caught the attention of Top 14 outfit, LOU. Immersing himself in the French style of bone-crunching physicality and respect of the set piece, Jenneker made a move to Pro D2 outfit Oyonnax in 2013, where he played a leading role in their promotion to the topflight. Three years with ‘Oyo’ showed Jody’s thirst for game time, clocking up well over 1600 minutes in most seasons, and leading Castres to recruit the dependable hooker for the 2016/17 season. Dependable and confrontational, Jody Jenneker is a man in the peak of his powers.