Full name Ralph Nicholas Köster School Bishops College Height 1.93 m Career start 2008 | Nickname Nick Years Club / team Weight 104 kg Position Flanker | |
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Date of birth (1989-02-22) 22 February 1989 (age 28) Place of birth Robertson, South Africa Education University of Cape Town, Diocesan College | ||
Ralph ("Nick") Nicholas Köster (born 22 February 1989 in Robertson) is a South African rugby union player. He plays currently played for Bristol in the position of Flanker or Eight Man.
Köster attended Bishops College in Cape Town and played in their First XV rugby team in 2006 and 2007. In 2006, he played alongside Martin Muller and Mathew Turner. Köster made the Western Province Craven Week side in 2007 and 2008 when he was captain. He was called up for South Africa Schools in both 2006 and 2007.
He made his Currie Cup debut at the age of 19, playing at 8th man in 2008, and was picked on the bench for the Barbarians side to play Australia at Wembley, later that year. He made his Super Rugby debut for the Stormers in 2009, playing on the wing, but suffered a knee injury against the Lions at Newlands Stadium which put him out of action.
His full-time return to the top flight was off the bench against the Griquas on 8 August 2010. The following week he started at openside flank (no.7) versus the Blue Bulls. Köster had Province's highest tackle count (24 tackles) against the Blue Bulls, while his 11 ball carries was second only to Duane Vermeulen and he was one of only three WP players to secure a turnover.
In October 2012, it was announced that he would join Bath. He scored his first try for his new club against Italian team Calvisano in the Amlin Challenge Cup.
He joined then RFU Championship club Bristol on a season long loan from August 2013, which evolved into Nick earning a permanent contract with Bristol, aiding them in their promotion to the Aviva Premiership in 2016.
In 2014 Nick became an ambassador for Project Zulu, a UK based charity running educational development projects in the Madadeni township, KZN, South Africa. During Project Zulu’s 2015 and 2016 UK Choir Tours Nick arranged for the South Africa choir to perform on the pitch at half time of Bristol games. He and his wife have also hosted young people from Madadeni during Project Zulu fundraising choir tours in 2015 and 2016.