City aids Rugby transformation

28 April 2017

 

The call to transform South African rugby “against all odds” was intensified at a gala dinner in honour of Soweto Rugby Union (SRU) co-founder Sanele Mdakane and former player Teboho Mokoena at the Stay City Hotel in Berea, Johannesburg, last night (Thursday April 27).

 

The dinner was held on the eve of the Soweto Rugby Cup, which takes place over three days – from Friday April 28 to Sunday April 30 – in Braamfischerville in the City’s Region C.

The tournament, which is now in its sixth year, is sponsored by the City of Johannesburg in partnership with the Gauteng Provincial Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation and the SRU.

At the dinner, Mdakane and Mokoena were presented with awards by the SRU in recognition of their contribution to the development of the sport in the townships.

Various speakers lamented the slow pace of transformation in the sport.

SRU General Secretary of the Zola Ntlokoma said the tournament had a rich heritage and served as a platform to address transformation in rugby.

Over the six years since its inception, the tournament has produced 13 professional rugby players. Among them are Victor Skitikiti of Gauteng Lions; Zingisa April, who was with the Cheetahs; Lubabalo Quluba, who played for Western Province and is now with the Blue Bulls Academy; and Oliver Zono, who is with Border Rugby Union.

“The tournament gives exposure to township and rural youths. We need to give them a platform to enable them to break the ceiling and let South Africa see that they can perform or play at that level,” said Ntlokoma.

The tournament will feature four senior teams – from the mining sector, Mpumalanga, Gauteng and North West.