Brakpan upbeat about future

Brakpan Rugby Club’s first team may not have had the greatest of starts to the season, but they have managed to get back on track as the term has progressed.

“It’s been a bit up and down,” says coach Braam Booysen when asked about the 2019 season.

“Our squad struggled a bit with injuries earlier in the season. I think the guys are getting together now. We are third in the Valke League, which means we’ll have a quarter-final play-off against East Rand United or Springs. In the Volcano Cup (series between clubs from the Valke, Blue Bulls and Leopards regions) we are fifth at the moment.”

Brakpan is looking to club up from that fifth spot, and this Saturday they will look to do so against an unbeaten Klerksdorp side at the Bosman Stadium. The team from the North West Province leads the Volcano Cup.

“I think it’s going to be a physical one,” said the coach.

Read: Super festival of rugby at Bosman

“Klerksdorp has got a big pack of forwards. They have also got some big boys coming off the bench. They have quality players in their back three, they have a lot of speed in their wings. I think we will aim to hit them in the midfield and see if we can split them up a bit there. I know they will expect a physical game from us, but I think we might surprise them with our approach. We going for a bit of French flair this weekend. We’ll take calculated risks and throw the ball around a bit. Our pack is not the heaviest, but we’ve got mobile players and I think we want to utilise this for the weekend.”

While they have managed to turn the season around, what will be more exciting for the local club is the future. Most of the players in the current squad are below the age of 25 and the club is aiming to be the best in the country when they reach their centennial year, 2021.

Booysen is excited about the future and as he has high regards for his players. He talks fondly of stars such as Madoda Dkamini, a prop the coach says is “faster than some wingers”.

He also mentions fly half/centre Ruan Roux.

“I think the whole squad has potential to grow into a special unit,” says the mentor.

He also mentions his senior players like captain Reg Miller, who played more than 100 matches for the Valke with the majority as captain.

“We’ve got potential in almost every position in the first team. And then you look at the future by seeing our u-21 side, who are second on the log. That is the future of the club.”

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Contact the newsroom by emailing: Thelma Koorts  (editor) brakpanherald@caxton.co.za

or Stacy Slatter (news editor) stacys@caxton.co.za

 or Miné Fourie (journalist) minev@caxton.co.za

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