Staunch support at Saheti Rugby Sevens and Netball Festival
BEDFORDVIEW – Family, friends and schoolmates came out in their numbers to provide support to players participating in the annual Saheti Rugby Sevens and Netball Festival.
The Saheti 1st rugby team barrel down the tunnel formed by the school's pupils.
The Saheti Rugby Sevens and Netball Festival saw people arriving in full support of the respective participating schools and clubs at the Saheti School in Senderwood.
With the rugby and netball games in full swing, relatives, friends, schoolmates, teachers and even pets, took time out to urge the competition-hardened participants on, as they traded tries on the rugby fields and goals on the netball courts.
A group of Heron Bridge netball players watch their rugby team.
Karlene Boe, a mother from HeronBridge College said providing moral support to her daughter who plays netball, was an immensely refreshing experience. “I love watching my daughter and her friends play; it’s one of my favourite things to come and watch,” she said.
Talking about the commitment she’s shown to support her child’s sporting endeavours, Boe said, “I take her to all the [netball] practices, which are quite early in the morning and some [are held] in the evenings. I support them whether they’re chosen to play or not, [in addition to which] I always motivate them to be the best they can be.”
Nicholas Dipterios, Saheti’s last year’s 1st team rugby captain made his presence felt as he rooted long and hard for the boys in blue and white. “Being a Saheti student, you realise that we’re more than just a school, we’re a family. So you’ll see we always have our alumni here, supporting no matter what year it is. We’ll have people from three, four or even 10 years down the line who come to support,” he said.
Saheti School warcry leader, Evangelos Mylonakis (raised arm), turns up the tempo during a rugby match.
No one understood the need for providing support to the Saheti teams more than Evangelos Mylonakis (17), a Grade 12 pupil at the school and resident warcry leader. Mylonakis said as warcry leader, he was ‘responsible for the spirit’. He added, “We wanted to come out today, as one, to support our boys and girls.”
Feeling upbeat, Mylonakis appeared set to up the tempo. That, however, did not deter him from using some strong words for the other teams. “Watch out because it’s our home ground and we want to take the cup home,” he professed.
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