Oldies have fun in rugby tussle
There were big hits and no shortage of competitiveness yet all was played in the name of fun during an Oldies tournament held in Greenhills during the weekend.
It looked like the Sharks were up against the Blue Bulls, given the macho, the energy, the agility and the tumbles that were featured.
This was during the Golden Oldies rugby tournament at the Greenhills Stadium in which twelve rugby clubs from different parts of Gauteng went head to head, but all just for fun.
“We have tournaments like this once a month at different venues in Gauteng, and we only get to host once a year. Since it is now our turn, we decided to move to Randfontein rather than continue in Krugersdorp,” said the chairperson of the Western Lions, Burt Vermeulen.
Burt said the games are just like real matches. “But, it’s all about comradeship,” he said.
He said the players’ ages range from a minimum of 35 years, until they feel they can’t play any more.
Burt went on to say that the oldest player who has taken part in the tournament was an 83-year-old rugby fanatic. He said the tournament has helped made rugby fun again.
“When you look at the rugby being played on the bigger stages, it is very competitive – people go out to hurt each other, whereas this is just a lot of fun. It’s also bringing the game back to people who used to like it, but cannot play competitively any more, and they’re enjoying it all over again,” he said.
Vermeulen also said the event was immensely welcomed by the community, and thanked those who attended for their support.
“The turnout has been quite good. I am surprised at the number of non-rugby people who are here. We are very grateful for that.”
He said the participating teams came from areas such as Pretoria, Kempton Park, Boksburg, Benoni, and Alberton.
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