Steven Sykes

Steven Robert Sykes (born (1984-08-05)5 August 1984 in Middelburg, Eastern Cape, South Africa) is a South African rugby union player, currently playing for the Eastern Province Kings in the Currie Cup and the Kings in Super Rugby. His regular position is lock.

Career

Youth

While still at school, Sykes represented Eastern Province at various youth tournaments. He played for them at primary school level at the 1997 Under-13 Craven Week competition and progressed through the youth sides to the Under-18 Craven Week team in 2002.

Natal Sharks / Sharks

In 2003, Sykes moved to Durban to join the Natal Sharks academy. He was also selected in the South African Under-19 side that played at the Under 19 Rugby World Championship in 2003 and also represented the Sharks Under-20 side in the Under-20 Provincial Competition in 2003 and 2004.

He made his first class debut for the Natal Wildebeest (the name that the Sharks' Vodacom Cup side played under) during the 2005 Vodacom Cup competition, coming on as an early substitute in a 43–0 victory over the Border Bulldogs in Durban. He started their next match against the Pumas in Witbank and remained in the starting line-up for the remainder of the competition.

Steven Sykes (artist)

Steven Sykes (born Steven Barry Sykes; 30 August 1914 – 22 January 1999) was a British artist, known for his Gethsemane Chapel in the rebuilt Coventry Cathedral. He was active in the British desert camouflage unit in the Second World War, and was responsible for the dummy railhead at Misheifa and for the effective camouflage and large-scale military deception in the defence of Tobruk in 1942.

Early life

Sykes was born in Formby, Lancashire. His father was a family doctor, A. B. Sykes of Ashhurst, Formby. He went to the Oratory School in Caversham, Berkshire and studied stained glass design at the Royal College of Art. He won a travel scholarship to France and Italy in 1936 and on his return he joined Herbert Hendrie's stained glass studio in Edinburgh.

Sykes married artist Jean Judd in February 1940.

World War II desert camouflage

Sykes's RCA tutor, Barry Hart, who knew Freddie Beddington, founder of the Camouflage Development and Training Centre at Farnham Castle, suggested he become a camouflage officer. Richard Buckley, one of the Farnham lecturers, promptly recruited Sykes as an officer in the Royal Engineers. He was posted to France in March 1940 and evacuated from Dunkirk in May. Only then did he go on a camouflage training course at Farnham.