Ulrich Strydom of Laerskool Staatspresident CR Swart, will fulfil a dream of every little boy in South Africa this afternoon, as he will accompany the Lions onto the iconic fields of Ellis Park, as they face the Sharks in the final of this year’s Currie Cup.
Ulrich was given this amazing opportunity thanks to the effort of his father, Dirk Strydom, who won a competition in the comments section of the Lions Rugby Co Facebook page.
The Lions urged fans to send a good luck message to team, with the organisation choosing the best response as the winner.
Dirk’s hearfelt post read as follows:
“It’s the team who wants it the most. Lions we know the pride is in you… It’s time to make your pride shine….
Do it for yourself, your team and your supporters. We are behind you all the way..
My son is 10. Henco van Wyk is his hero, but injured… We will be there on Saturday…
Cant wait….”
Ulrich has been a die-hard fan of the Lions since he first learned of scrums and lineouts.
In fact, the young fly-half has found a hero in Henco van Wyk, who Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen heavily praised earlier this month, stating, “He could become the best player in the world.”
Despite van Wyk missing out on the final through injury, Ulrich has arrived in Johannesburg sporting a match-worn scrum cap of his idol, with a signed Lions jersey rounding out the local lad’s kit.
Dirk has proudly travelled with his son today, where both will have the chance to experience history first-hand.
The family will be waiting on bated breath for the final whistle, as they hope the men in red will be the ones to lift the cup of South Africa’s premier rugby tournament.
So when you watch the final at 16:00 this afternoon, know that this will be one of the most special days in the life of a local Middelburg rugby fan.
You can watch a video of Ulrich’s rugby talent below:
@middelburgobserver CR Swart’s star fly-half Ulrich Strydom will accompany the Lions onto the field in their Currie Cup final clash against the Sharks. Here is the 10-year old Strydom in action.
