Team

Michael de Waal did not appear in the shortened 2020 season due to injury. He returned in 2021 to be an impact player for the Gilgronis, totaling over 830 minutes in his 14 appearances. The flanker attempted 132 tackles on the year, completing 119 of them and only missing 13, while adding a pair of breakdown steals to the stat sheet. He finished his second season in Austin with 58 carries for 269 meters (4.6 MPC) with a pair of line breaks and six broken tackles.

In 2022, he was named the Gilgronis’ Forward of the Year, starting in 15 games with 1,160 total minutes played. His defensive presence was felt again, attempting 203 tackles while successfully completing 185 of them with only 18 missed attempts. de Waal added his first career try last year while adding 321 meters gained on his 55 carries (5.8 MPC) while being credited with three breakdown steals.

The Cape Town, South Africa native enjoyed a standout collegiate career with Lindenwood University, earning collegiate All-American honors twice.