St Charles College breakaway to Battlefields Country Lodge for rugby ‘spanbou’
Former Bok puts boys through their rugby paces in a full-steam ahead training session
![](https://images.caxton.co.za/wp-content/uploads/sites/63/2017/03/DSC_0573-Medium.jpg)
Former Springbok rugby legend, Braam van Straaten, is putting the various rugby teams from St Charles College, Pietermaritzburg, through a training camp at the Battlefields Country Lodge sports resort this weekend.\
The St Charles coaches say the pristine environment makes for the ideal pre-season breakaway and serves to sharpen up the boys of all high school age groups before their first game next Tuesday.
Braam is on a five-year coaching contract at the school.
Abraham Johannes Jacobus “Braam” van Straaten (born 28 September 1971) is a former South African rugby union footballer. He was capable of playing either at fly-half or centre, and represented the Springboks in 21 tests from 1999 to 2001, scoring 221 points.
He was born in Pretoria and made a relatively late start to professional rugby, making his debut for the Bulls in 1996 at the age of 24.
Joining the legion of former Springbok Rugby players that have participated in the Absa Cape Epic mountain bike stage race, Van Straaten took on the challenge in 2009 and successfully completed the race with partner Corne Klem.