Wasps Edenvale brought all the fun, excitement and competitiveness when they hosted various regional clubs for a friendly tournament.
Hosted at Edenvale High School, more than 3 000 people showed up on September 7 to support the tournament, aimed at developing young rugby players.
The event was part of the Golden Lions Rugby Union youth development programme.
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Clubs from Roodepoort, Randfontein, Krugersdorp, Alberton, and Randburg, among others, attended the event.
Stefan Otto, the Wasps junior club vice chairperson, explained the goal was to bring the community together while providing a platform for young players to showcase their skills in a friendly set-up.
“We also could have the interprovincial tournament teams U13, U14, U15, U16 and U18 playing against our Wasps as they prepare for the upcoming interprovincial tournament starting on September 22,” said Otto.
He stressed the importance of the community supporting such events: “A big part of what we stand for is community.
We have a big footprint in terms of Edenvale community members who are part of this club.
We are the premier rugby club in Edenvale. We currently have 491 junior players from U6 to U18, and our senior teams, which are U19 to U21, second and first, total about 150 players.
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“Seeing the stands full and people engaging in the festivities, from enjoying food to cheering on the teams, highlights our role in the community.”
The club’s core focus remains on developing young players.
Otto reflected on the club’s success in nurturing players who represented the junior Springboks, citing Tylor Sefoor’s recent World Cup appearance as a prime example. He is the first Springbok player related to the Wasps Rugby Club.
“Rugby itself as a sport, as a team sport, serves as a great way of bringing a group of diverse people together and to strive for one goal in what they are taking on.
“We are very proud of the Wasps; that our development programmes have brought about professional players,” stated Otto.
He said they want players to join the club, have the opportunity to learn to play rugby and learn to love the game.
“We have players that show up here at a relatively senior age who do not understand what a rugby ball is.
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“We take a player like that and turn them into an excellent player; the type of player that can compete to be in their school’s A team.
“That’s what we strive for at Wasps. We want people to grow and to become better than what they were when they first showed up,” he added.
He expressed gratitude for the ongoing collaboration with Edenvale High School and the support from the community.
