“Now that the Pumas have moved to Nelspruit, we miss them in Middelburg and we have pulled out all the stops to make this a great day out for the local community,” said head coach of Middelburg Rugby Club and u.21 Steval Pumas coach, Apie Human.
The ‘ou manne’ will start the day’s rugby on Saturday, April 12 at noon when the Middelburg legends tackle the Lowveld, which will then be followed by some great local club rugby action as Middelburg takes on Carolina at 13:00. There will be great entertainment in the build-up to the main attraction in which the Steval Pumas will go up against the Leopards XV at 15:00.
Well-known local singer Jaco will be entertaining the crowds and food and drink will be available. Supporters can also bring and braai and enjoy the Castle beer tent.
“The Pumas are doing very well and are enjoying an unbeaten winning streak which puts them on top of the log, but the Leopards are a dark horse and can upset any team on the day. The Pumas must prove a point as they are playing in the Absa Currie Cup first division and we expect them to win everything but it’s going to be a good game as the Leopards are serious contenders,” added Human.
The Vodacom Cup is South Africa’s premier development tournament and is about unearthing the future stars of rugby.
“For us, the tournament is all about taking rugby to the community and we will be visiting the Laerskool Middelburg at 09:30 on the Friday before the big Vodacom Cup match against the Leopards. The full team and management staff will be introduced to the school as we want to thank our loyal young fans for their support,” said Jay Botes, head of marketing for the Pumas.
“From there we will be going to the Colliery Training College (CTC) in eMalahleni where the team will experience the learning opportunities that are available. We are targeting facilities like these to become part of our academy which we are hoping to get underway in 2015.”
“The match day on Saturday is a great opportunity for Middelburg and gives all the Highveld supporters a chance to support their team. It’s going to be fun, come as a family and enjoy the day as only Middelburg can. This is an important game for the Pumas and we ask all their fans to come out – we always have a very nice vibe around the field,” concluded Human.
