Provincial amateur rugby tournament in Alberton
The festival of festivals of amateur rugby will take place this week at Alberton Rugby Club.
ALBERTON is a well-known landmark on the map of Ekurhuleni, one of the three biggest metropolitan areas in Gauteng. It is, therefore, an honour indeed for Alberton Rugby Club to stage this week the festival of festivals of amateur rugby.
For spectators, a real rugby feast is in store, with a week of non-stop rugby featuring the cream of the crop of amateur rugby in the northern provinces. The culmination of the event will be the big cup competition final on Friday, August 26, to end the rugby week which solely belong to amateur players who will be basking in the limelight for one week. Without doubt another milepost highlight in the 105 years of proud history of Alberton Rugby Club.
A special welcome to the eight provincial sides which will grace Alberton with their presence, namely coach Henry Stewart and his Leopards from North-West, coach Riaan Brand’s Blue Bulls, coach Stanley Dodd’s Highveld Pumas, Lowveld Pumas of coach Roelof Kotze and from Limpopo’s way the Limpopo Bulls coached by Freek Romjijn. Ekurhuleni’s neighbouring Valke is coached by Reghardt Botha. From the home province coach Jaco Booysens’ Golden Lions and coach Gerhard Swart’s Lions Fifteen are also welcomed.
A tournament of these proportions would not be possible, if it was not for the hard work and dedication of the different role players: A word of big thanks to Golden Lions CEO Rudolf Straueli, tournament director Pieter Visser, Theuns Naude and the referee association, media liaison Annemie Bester, club manager Lood Kleynhans and his team of helpers, sponsors and all other specific role players.
Also thanks to Alberton’s rugby “media reporter of the season” for 2012 to 2015, Peet van Niekerk, who is now happily retired in the Western Province but still contributing to the content of the club’s souvenir programmes.
Last but not least, thank you to you the valuable spectator. Amateur rugby is still and will always be an important part of rugby in this country and your continuous support ensures the existence of the beautiful game that we all embrace.
Manie Reyneke, chairman Alberton Rugby Club
