POLOKWANE – Recently enthusiastic rugby players, coaches and administrators gathered at Curro Heuwelkruin where the new Kruinies Rugby Club was established and the coaches as well as the committee were chosen at this introductory meeting.
President elect and the driving force behind the new club, Eben Lingenfelder, said there were several obstacles involved with establishing a new rugby club which is why they opted to rather take over an existing club, in this case the Pietersburg Rugby Club.
Lingenfelder explained in order to establish a new club meant the players would have had to compete in friendly matches for a year before getting the go-ahead to compete in the Boet Fick Amateur League.
“After negotiations between the Pietersburg Rugby Club and the Limpopo Blue Bulls Rugby Union we managed to take over the Pietersburg Rugby Club and rebrand it to the Kruinies Rugby Club,” Lingenfelder explained.
Lingenfelder, who is the Executive Head of Curro Heuwelkruin, has an extensive rugby background and said the club will be established at the school. “We have independent facilities at our disposal and we would like to establish a club where rugby players and their families can feel at home. Kruinies is not going to be a professional rugby club nor a social club. What we want is a club where competitive rugby is played passionately. When we practice, we practice thoroughly, when we braai, we braai properly, but when we tie the laces of our rugby boots, then we play competitive rugby,” Lingenfelder said.
He added they expect the players to be fully committed and attend practice sessions; if a player doesn’t attend these sessions they won’t be elected to play in matches.
Limpopo Toyota is the sponsor of the Kruinies Rugby Club and Gordon Ferns, Toyota Dealer Principal, said exciting times lie ahead for the Kruinies Rugby Club.
“This city’s rugby clubs have always been a force to be reckoned with. This was not the case, however, when a rugby club from a mining establishment like Northam claimed this year’s league title. Through the Kruinies Rugby Club we want to change that. The club has the facilities in place, all we need is commitment from the players,” Ferns said.
André Hay will be the club’s rugby specialist concerning the forward players.
He has extensive experience and has been Limpopo’s u/18 Craven Week coach for many years. He coached current Blue Bulls prop and capped Springbok, Trevor Nyakane, at his tenure as first team coach at Hoërskool Ben Vorster in Tzaneen. Lingenfelder will be the backline specialist.
The first team, the Kruinies Old Boys, will be coached by Dawie Marais and Jan Booysen will be the coach the second team, the Kruinies Young Guns.
Lingenfelder said practice times for the remainder of 2017 will take place every Tuesday and Thursday from 18:00 until the December holiday officially starts.
For more information about the club, contact Dawie Marais at 076 164 1309.
