Theunis de Bruyn has played nine cricket tests for the Proteas, got a century to his name, in October he will be facing off against some of the world's best spin bowlers in India, but that does not mean he forgot where it all started for him.

That was why last night he was at SuperSport Park to celebrate Assupol Tuks Cricket's 100 years of cricketing excellence. 

"It was the coaches at Assupol Tuks Cricket, to be more specific Pierre de Bruyn, who taught me the discipline of what it takes to excel at the highest level. 

"Pierre did not believe in half measures ever. That is why we never trained only to be the best at a club level. He wanted us to be the best university side in the world. Therefore, he made us train like true professionals, and we reaped the rewards. 

"In the five years, I have played for Assupol Tuks we never lost to any local club team. I am not sure, but we might have won a 100 games on the trot. 

"2013 was a definite highlight as we got to win the International Red Bull Varsity Tournament. But there is a story the media never got to report on. 

"As part of our preparation for the tournament we got to play two matches against the South African A-side. We wiped the floor with them. And it was not as if it was a mediocre side. The likes of Kagiso Radaba, Marchant de Lange, Rory Kleinveldt, Riley Rossouw, Heinrich Kuhn and Simon Harmer played for them.

"We also had a formidable team with Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen and Sean Dickson playing for Assupol Tuks. I think eight out of the 12 of us went on to play franchise cricket.

"The joke at the time when Assupol Tuks trained at SuperSport Park was that we were the seventh cricket franchise in South Africa. We considered it as a huge compliment."

Assupol Tuks Cricket is certainly where talented young cricketer's skills get honed to such extent that they get to play international cricket. In the current Protea test squad who will be playing against India in October, there are five former Tuks players. 

Apart from De Bruin, they are Faf du Plessis (captain), Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaassen and Lungi Ngidi. 

De Bruyn, however, does not see his time at Assupol Tuks Cricket as where he got to learn the finer intricacies of the game.

"I got taught life skills that are going to stand me to good stead for the rest of my life. Pierre always used to refer to 'hanging your hat'. It meant that is when you have achieved everything you could at a particular stage of your life.

"I can say that I got to 'hang my hat' at Assupol Tuks. I will never forget what they have done for me as a person and a cricketer. Therefore I will be forever loyal to them. I mean it genuinely."

Photo Caption: Theunis de Bruin with Murray Coetzee. Both players had the privilege of playing for the  Assupol Tuks Cricket team that won the International Red Bull Varsity Tournament. De Bruyn did so in 2013 and Coetzee in 2014. Coetzee was also the Player of the Tournament.