ALBERTON – Looking into the rugby archives, one of the most notable u.20 teams was the u.20 team of the 1972 season. This team, captained by Johan Claassen with vice-captain Gert du Plessis and coached by Chris Coetzee with Nic Claassen team manager, lifted the coveted Pirates trophy for the best u.20 team in Transvaal 43 years ago.
In 1972 the Alberton u.20 team that won the league and was very unlucky not to win the overall B-competition when they played as A-league winners against the B-winners, after losing 12-15 to Western Areas in the final game.
This is how the Alberton Courier’s rugby correspondent Piet van Coller back in 1972 described that encounter: “Alberton o.20 het die A-afdeling gewen, maar was ongelukkig om ook nie die B-afdeling te wen nie. Groot ontevredenheid het na die wedstryd geheers en Alberton moes gewen het. Selfs Westelike Gebiede se spelers het gesê Alberton moes gewen het, nadat Westelike gebiede met 15-12 gewen het. Vyf moontlike Albertondrieë is nie toegeken nie en een van Westelike Gebiede se drieë is toegeken na ‘n lang vorentoe-aangee.”
About that remarkable historic feat, Alberton chairman Manie Reyneke said that he hopes that this year’s passionate u.19 and u.21 teams could follow that achievement of 43 years ago.
