{{Short description|South African rugby union player}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2016}} {{Use South African English|date=April 2016}}
{{Infobox rugby biography | name = Ramone Samuels | image = | fullname = Ramone Christie Samuels | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1994|11|03|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Somerset West]], [[South Africa]] | height = {{height|m=1.83}} | weight = {{cvt|105|kg|lb stlb}} | nickname = | occupation = | school = [[Paul Roos Gymnasium]], [[Stellenbosch]] | university = | relatives = [[Damian Willemse]] (brother) | position = [[Flanker (rugby union)|Flanker]] / [[Number eight (rugby union)|Number eight]] / [[Hooker (rugby union)|Hooker]] | currentclub = {{Rut|Stormers}} / {{Rut|Western Province}} | youthyears1 = 2010–2013 | youthclubs1 = {{Rut|Western Province}} | youthyears2 = 2014–2015 | youthclubs2 = {{Rut|Golden Lions}} | years1 = 2015–2016 | clubs1 = {{Rut|Golden Lions XV}} | apps1 = 18 | points1 = 25 | years2 = 2016 | clubs2 = {{Rut|Lions}} | apps2 = 3 | points2 = 0 | years3 = 2016 | clubs3 = {{Rut|Golden Lions}} | apps3 = 3 | points3 = 0 | years4 = 2017-18 | clubs4 = {{Rut|Stormers}} | apps4 = 32 | points4 = 15 | years5 = 2017–19 | clubs5 = {{Rut|Western Province}} | apps5 = 13 | points5 = 10 | amatyears1 = 2014 | amatteam1 = {{Rut|UJ}} | amatapps1 = 0 | amatpoints1 = 0 | repyears1 = 2012 | repteam1 = [[South Africa national under-18 rugby union team|South Africa Schools]] | repcaps1 = 0 | reppoints1 = 0 | repyears2 = 2017 | repteam2 = [[South Africa 'A' national rugby union team|South Africa 'A']] | repcaps2 = 2 | reppoints2 = 0 | clubupdate = 13 July 2018 | repupdate = 24 May 2018 }}
'''Ramone Christie Samuels''' (born 3 November 1994 in [[Somerset West]], [[South Africa]]) is a South African [[rugby union]] player for the {{Rut|Stormers}} in [[Super Rugby]] and {{Rut|Western Province}} in the [[Currie Cup]].<ref name="SARU Player Profile Ramone Samuels">{{SA Rugby Player Profile | id=51298 | name=Ramone Samuels | date=27 April 2016}}</ref> He can play as a flanker, number eight or hooker.
==Rugby career==
===Youth rugby / Western Province===
Samuels attended [[Paul Roos Gymnasium]] in [[Stellenbosch]] and a he earned a provincial call-up to represent {{Rut|Western Province}} at the 2010 Under-16 Grant Khomo Week in [[Upington]], scoring a try in their 28–7 victory over the Golden Lions<ref name="WP 28-7 Lions">{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=19100 | homeid=8178 | awayid=8179 | leagueid=780 | hometeam=WP | homescore=28 | awayscore=7 | awayteam=Lions | matchdate=14 June 2010 | date=27 April 2016}}</ref>
He also represented Western Province at the premier South African high schools competition, the Under-18 [[Craven Week]], on two occasions – at the 2011 tournament in [[Kimberley, Northern Cape|Kimberley]] and the 2012 tournament in [[Port Elizabeth]]. He scored a try in their 2012 match against the {{Rut|SWD Eagles}}<ref name="WP 39-33 SWD">{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=112931 | homeid=13861 | awayid=13821 | leagueid=1401 | hometeam=WP | homescore=39 | awayscore=33 | awayteam=SWD | matchdate=12 July 2012 | date=27 April 2016}}</ref> and was also included in the [[South Africa national under-18 rugby union team|South Africa Schools]] squad after the competition, although he didn't feature in any of their three matches during the Under-18 International Series.
He joined the Western Province Rugby Institute after high school and played for {{Rut|Western Province U19}} in the [[2013 Under-19 Provincial Championship]]. He played in eleven of their twelve matches during the competition, initially playing as a hooker, but starting their final six matches as an eighth man. He scored a try in their match against {{Rut|Sharks U19}},<ref name="DHL Western Province 19-25 The Sharks U19">{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=108844 | homeid=14484 | awayid=14504 | leagueid=1424 | hometeam=DHL Western Province | homescore=19 | awayscore=25 | awayteam=The Sharks U19 | matchdate=17 August 2013 | date=27 April 2016}}</ref> two tries in their 45–36 win over {{Rut|Leopards U19}}<ref name="Leopards 36-45 DHL Western Province">{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=108934 | homeid=14514 | awayid=14484 | leagueid=1424 | hometeam=Leopards | homescore=36 | awayscore=45 | awayteam=DHL Western Province | matchdate=6 September 2013 | date=27 April 2016}}</ref> and a fourth for the season in a victory over {{Rut|Border U19}},<ref name="Border 7-36 DHL Western Province">{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=109024 | homeid=14494 | awayid=14484 | leagueid=1424 | hometeam=Border | homescore=7 | awayscore=36 | awayteam=DHL Western Province | matchdate=27 September 2013 | date=27 April 2016}}</ref> but his side had a poor season, finishing in fifth position and failing to qualify for the semi-finals, despite being the defending champions.
===Golden Lions===
Prior to the 2014 season, Samuels moved to [[Johannesburg]] to join the {{Rut|Golden Lions}}. He was named in their squad for the [[2014 Vodacom Cup]], but didn't make any appearances in the competition. He did feature in nine matches for the {{Rut|Golden Lions U19}} side in the [[2014 Under-21 Provincial Championship]] in the second half of the season though, scoring a try in a 113–3 victory over {{Rut|Border U19}}<ref name="Golden Lions U21 113-3 Border U21">{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=120884 | homeid=18514 | awayid=18464 | leagueid=1834 | hometeam=Golden Lions U21 | homescore=113 | awayscore=3 | awayteam=Border U21 | matchdate=16 August 2014 | date=27 April 2016}}</ref> to help them finish in third spot on the log. He played off the bench in their semi-final match against trans-[[Jukskei River|Jukskei]] rivals {{Rut|Blue Bulls U19}},<ref name="Blue Bulls U21 23-19 Golden Lions U21">{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=121154 | homeid=18454 | awayid=18514 | leagueid=1834 | hometeam=Blue Bulls U21 | homescore=23 | awayscore=19 | awayteam=Golden Lions U21 | matchdate=17 October 2014 | date=27 April 2016}}</ref> but could not prevent the side from [[Pretoria]] winning 23–19 to eliminate Samuels' side from the competition.
He got his first taste of first class rugby in 2015, when he represented the {{Rut|Golden Lions XV}} in the [[2015 Vodacom Cup]] competition. He made his debut by playing off the bench in a 53–3 victory over the {{Rut|Welwitschias}} in [[Windhoek]],<ref name="FNB Welwitschias 3-53 Xerox Golden Lions">{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=140164 | homeid=24314 | awayid=24324 | leagueid=2304 | hometeam=FNB Welwitschias | homescore=3 | awayscore=53 | awayteam=Xerox Golden Lions | matchdate=6 March 2015 | date=27 April 2016}}</ref> his first of nine appearances as a reserve in the competition. In his sixth match – against the {{Rut|Leopards}} in Johannesburg, he scored his first try in first class rugby, scoring within seconds of appearing from the bench to help his side to a 63–10 victory.<ref name="Xerox Golden Lions 63-10 Leopards XV">{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=140554 | homeid=24324 | awayid=24304 | leagueid=2304 | hometeam=Xerox Golden Lions | homescore=63 | awayscore=10 | awayteam=Leopards XV | matchdate=25 April 2015 | date=27 April 2016}}</ref> Despite being named in the Golden Lions' senior squad for the [[2015 Currie Cup Premier Division]], he reverted to the Under-21 squad, where he started nine of their matches in [[2015 Under-21 Provincial Championship Group A|Group A of the 2014 Under-21 Provincial Championship]] and came on as a replacement in one more match. He scored a try in each of their matches against {{Rut|Eastern Province U21}} – helping them secure a 73–14 win in [[Port Elizabeth]]<ref name="EP Kings U21 14-73 Golden Lions U21">{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=146964 | homeid=27024 | awayid=27034 | leagueid=2544 | hometeam=EP Kings U21 | homescore=14 | awayscore=73 | awayteam=Golden Lions U21 | matchdate=8 August 2015 | date=27 April 2016}}</ref> and a 40–24 win in Johannesburg<ref name="Golden Lions U21 40-24 EP Kings U21">{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=147264 | homeid=27034 | awayid=27024 | leagueid=2544 | hometeam=Golden Lions U21 | homescore=40 | awayscore=24 | awayteam=EP Kings U21 | matchdate=5 September 2015 | date=27 April 2016}}</ref> – as the golden Lions finished in fourth place to secure the final semi-final berth. Samuels ended on the losing side in the semi-finals of the competition for the second season in a row as {{Rut|Western Province U21}} won 43–20 in [[Cape Town]].<ref name="Western Province U21 43-20 Golden Lions U21">{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=147234 | homeid=26994 | awayid=27034 | leagueid=2544 | hometeam=Western Province U21 | homescore=43 | awayscore=20 | awayteam=Golden Lions U21 | matchdate=17 October 2015 | date=27 April 2016}}</ref>
In 2016, Samuels was included in the {{Rut|Golden Lions XV}} squad for the [[2016 Currie Cup qualification]] series. He made his first ever first class start in their first opening match of the competition, a 23–27 defeat to the {{Rut|Border Bulldogs}}<ref name="Xerox Golden Lions XV 23-27 Border">{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=158114 | homeid=30804 | awayid=30854 | leagueid=2824 | hometeam=Xerox Golden Lions XV | homescore=23 | awayscore=27 | awayteam=Border | matchdate=8 April 2016 | date=27 April 2016}}</ref> and also started in a their match against the {{Rut|Welwitschias}} in [[Windhoek]] a week later, scoring a try in a 66–12 win.<ref name="Windhoek Draught Welwitschias 12-66 Xerox Golden Lions XV">{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=158184 | homeid=30844 | awayid=30804 | leagueid=2824 | hometeam=Windhoek Draught Welwitschias | homescore=12 | awayscore=66 | awayteam=Xerox Golden Lions XV | matchdate=16 April 2016 | date=27 April 2016}}</ref> He was then called up to the {{Rut|Lions}} [[Super Rugby]] squad and named on the bench for their match against the {{Rut|Southern Kings}} in Round Nine of the [[2016 Super Rugby season]].<ref name="Injuries force Lions changes">{{cite news | url=http://www.supersport.com/rugby/super-rugby/news/160421/Injuries_force_Lions_changes | title=Injuries force Lions changes | work=SuperSport | date=21 April 2016 | access-date=25 April 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160425120400/http://www.supersport.com/rugby/super-rugby/news/160421/Injuries_force_Lions_changes | archive-date=25 April 2016}}</ref> He made his Super Rugby debut by coming on as a replacement for [[Akker van der Merwe]] in the 63rd minute of the match.<ref name="Southern Kings 10-45 Emirates Lions">{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=155124 | homeid=29954 | awayid=29974 | leagueid=2714 | hometeam=Southern Kings | homescore=10 | awayscore=45 | awayteam=Emirates Lions | matchdate=23 April 2016 | date=27 April 2016}}</ref>
===Stormers / Western Province===
At the start of 2017, Samuels moved to [[Cape Town]], where he joined the {{Rut|Stormers}} [[Super Rugby]] team and the {{Rut|Western Province}} [[Currie Cup]] team.<ref name="Five new faces at DHL Newlands this season">{{cite press release | url=http://thestormers.com/five-new-faces-at-dhl-newlands-this-season | title=Five new faces at DHL Newlands this season | publisher=Stormers | date=13 January 2017 | access-date=13 January 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170113110547/http://thestormers.com/five-new-faces-at-dhl-newlands-this-season | archive-date=13 January 2017 | url-status=live}}</ref>
==Personal life==
Samuels is the older brother of [[Damian Willemse]], also a professional rugby union player (Samuels' birth was registered under his mother's maiden name).<ref name="WP-broers wil Goue Beker huis toe bring">{{cite news | url=https://www.netwerk24.com/Sport/Rugby/wp-broers-wil-goue-beker-huis-toe-bring-20171027 | title=WP-broers wil Goue Beker huis toe bring | work=Netwerk24 | date=28 October 2017 | access-date=29 October 2017 | language=af}}</ref> Both brothers were members of the {{Rut|Western Province}} squad that won the [[2017 Currie Cup Premier Division]].
==References==
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Samuels, Ramone}} [[Category:South African rugby union players]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:1994 births]] [[Category:Cape Coloureds]] [[Category:Rugby union players from Somerset West]] [[Category:Rugby union hookers]] [[Category:Rugby union flankers]] [[Category:Rugby union number eights]] [[Category:Lions (United Rugby Championship) players]] [[Category:Alumni of Paul Roos Gymnasium]] [[Category:21st-century South African sportsmen]]