A product of one of the world’s leading rugby-playing institutions, Grey College, Pienaar van Niekerk is a player blessed with incomparable dedication and resilience. The Bloemfontein-based College has such tremendous player depth that they field eleven senior rugby teams on any given weekend, with Pienaar first selected for the 10th XV. Incredibly, in the space of a year, the powerful outside back worked his way through the ranks, until finally donning the illustrious 1st XV jersey. A standout finisher in his final year of schooling, van Niekerk enrolled at North West University to study a Bachelor of Health Science degree, but it was his performances on the pitch that drew critical acclaim.

Pienaar was immediately drafted into the Leopards U21 Currie Cup squad in 2018, repeating the feat in the following season. A balanced runner and devastating counter-attacker, van Niekerk enjoyed a senior professional debut against the Blue Bulls in the 2019 Supersport Challenge, scoring on debut and making the number 14 jumper his own. Shifting to the left wing in the senior Currie Cup later that year, he continued his try-scoring exploits, before enjoying national coverage in the popular Varsity Cup competition. Superb under the high ball and able to break tackles with a strong led drive, Pienaar van Niekerk provides tremendous value to any squad.