Rugby news from Western Province:
Carr returns for DHL WP:
Nizaam Carr will make his first appearance for DHL Western Province this season, in the Currie Cup clash with the Steval Pumas at DHL Newlands on Saturday.
The experienced loose forward has been sidelined with a shoulder injury, but has recovered and will start at openside flank, in one of five changes for DHL Western Province, this week.
Carr is joined in the loose trio by Stefan Willemse and No.8 Kobus van Dyk, with Jurie van Vuuren set to provide an impact off the replacements bench.
In the front row Alistair Vermaak starts at loosehead prop, with Sti Sithole providing cover on the replacements bench.
There are two changes to the backline with centre Huw Jones returning from injury to replace Johnny Kotze, whilst at scrumhalf Godlen Masimla comes in for Jano Vermaak, who has a hip-pointer injury.
DHL Western Province coach John Dobson said that he expects a major reaction from his team after a disappointing performance in Johannesburg last week.
“We know that we were not up to standard defensively last week, and there is a strong desire to put things right this weekend.
“We are back at DHL Newlands in front of our faithful fans, and we owe them a convincing performance,” he said.
Dobson said that having someone of Carr’s experience back in the team is a significant boost.
“Nizaam is an important player and leader within this union, and I am looking forward to seeing what he offers against the Pumas,” he said.
Following on from national Sunflower Day on Friday, September 16, The Sunflower Fund will be collecting donations at the gate at DHL Newlands on Saturday. The Girl Guides will be on hand to assist The Sunflower Fund, wearing bright yellow t-shirts at the entrances to DHL Newlands collecting all donations.
The Sunflower Fund is a non-profit organisation dedicated to creating awareness, educating the public and facilitating the registration process for people to join the South African Bone Marrow Registry (SABMR).
DHL Western Province: 15 Cheslin Kolbe, 14 Werner Kok, 13 EW Viljoen, 12 Huw Jones, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Robert du Preez, 9 Godlen Masimla, 8 Kobus van Dyk, 7 Stefan Willemse, 6 Nizaam Carr, 5 Chris van Zyl (captain), 4 Jan de Klerk, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Mike Willemse, 1 Alistair Vermaak.
Replacements: 16 Neil Rautenbach, 17 Sti Sithole, 18 JP Smith, 19 Jurie van Vuuren, 20 Jacques Vermeulen, 21 Dewaldt Duvenage, 22 Scott van Breda.
Gold Cup kicks off in style:
The Gold Cup – SA Rugby’s three-nation championship for non-university clubs – kicked off in style last Saturday when visitors Tiger Wheel & Tyre Welkom Rovers upset hosts OneLogix United Bulk Worcester Villagers 39-29 in the tournament’s televised opening match at Boland Park in Worcester.
Scrumhalf Jaco Pretorius, who scored a hat-trick of tries, and flyhalf Tiaan van Wyk, who kicked 19 points, helped the Griffons champions to a bonus-point victory against the oldest club in the tournament, who were spurred on by a fanatical 5,000-strong crowd.
Elsewhere around the country, there were big wins for defending champions Durbanville-Bellville in Pool A, 2014 champions Rustenburg Impala in Pool B, newcomers DirectAxis False Bay in Pool C, and Pretoria Police and Port Elizabeth Police in Pool D.
The latter two sides kick off the second round’s action with a much anticipated televised Police derby on Friday afternoon at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria, in a tussle which might well decide who tops Pool D. The match is a curtain-raiser to the Currie Cup clash between the Vodacom Bue Bulls and Griquas. Kick-off is 16h15.
There is further Currie Cup curtain-raiser action on Saturday when SA Home Loans Durban Collegians, who were beaten 37-19 by DirectAxis False Bay on the opening weekend, host White River, who were edged 20-18 at home by Zimbabwe champions Old Georgians. The Pool C match, at GrowthPoint Kings Park in Durban, kicks off at 12h15.
In the other Pool C match, DirectAxis False Bay face an acid test of their title credentials when they travel to Bosman Stadium to face Valke champions Siyaya Brakpan.
In Pool A, Tiger Wheel & Tyre Welkom Rovers will host champions Durbell with both teams looking for a second win in as many weeks, while the group’s other heavyweight side, two-time national club champions Your Communications College Rovers, open their campaign at home against Worcester Villagers.
And in Pool B, Pirates, having held on at home to beat an impressive FNB Wanderers Windhoek 28-26 last weekend, will look to make it two from two when they welcome Northam Platinum Rhinos. In possibly the most talked about match of the weekend, Impala travel to George to face SWD champions RSK Evergreens, who will no doubt be spurred on by a packed house at the Pacaltsdorp Sports Ground.
The Gold Cup format is simple and identical to that of the Rugby World Cup: 20 clubs are divided into four pools of five, with each team playing two home and two away matches over a five-week period from 10 September to 8 October. The top two clubs in each pool advance to the quarter-finals, scheduled for 15 October. All knockout matches, including the televised semi-finals (22 October) and final (29 October) will be hosted at participating clubs.
Round One results:
Pool A:
OneLogix United Bulk Worcester Villagers 29-39 Tiger Wheel & Tyre Welkom Rovers
Durbanville-Bellville 40-14 Mike Pendock Motors Old Selbornians
Pool B:
Pirates 28-26 FNB Wanderers Windhoek
Northam Platinum Rhinos 19-46 Rustenburg Impala
Pool C:
DirectAxis False Bay 37-19 SA Home Loans Durban Collegians
White River 18-20 Old Georgians Harare
Pool D:
Belaz Sishen 17-44 Pretoria Police
Don’s Pawn Shop PE Police 35-11 Bloemfontein Police
Round Two fixtures (all matches 15h30 unless otherwise indicated):
Friday 16 September:
Pretoria Police v Don’s Pawn Shop Port Elizabeth Police (Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria, 16h15)
Saturday 17 September:
SA Home Loans Durban Collegians v White River (Growthpoint Kings Park, Durban, 12h15)
Your Communications College Rovers v OneLogix United Bulk Worcester Villagers (KP3, Kings Park, Durban, 13h00)
Tiger Wheel & Tyre Welkom Rovers v Durbanville-Bellville (Rovers Rugby Club, Welkom)
RSK Evergreens v Rustenburg Impala (Pacaltsdorp Sports Ground, George)
Pirates v Northam Platinum Rhinos (Pirates Rugby Club, Greenside, Johannesburg)
Siyaya Brakpan v DirectAxis False Bay (Bosman Stadium, Brakpan)
East London Police v Belaz Sishen (Police Park, East London)
Senatla inspires in Mitchells Plain:
Tafelsig High learners got to meet one of South Africa’s rugby heroes when DHL Western Province flyer and Olympic medallist Seabelo Senatla visited the school on Wednesday.
He was there to launch Currie Cup sponsor DirectAxis’ school scholarships, which will see the financial services company provide R250 000 to cover school fees and other education-related expenses for high-school learners.
Standing next to the Currie Cup, Senatla told the learners that no matter where they came from, or what their personal circumstances they could choose to be great.
“Greatness is in yourself. You can be whatever you want to be, if you work hard at it and if you really believe you want to be that. It’s a choice,” he said, reflecting on his childhood years in Welkom, when his first love was football.
Answering questions from some of the school’s U19 players he emphasised the importance of education and that it was a vital foundation for professional sports people.
“Sport and education go hand in hand,” he told them. “That’s how I got my scholarship.”
Tafelsig High was selected for the launch event as the school’s U15 and U19 teams won the Mitchells Plain league, despite the players having to practice in the paved courtyard and the match field not having any poles.
The players from both teams will get another chance to see some of their heroes in action when DHL Western Province play the Steval Pumas at DHL Newlands on Saturday 17 September.
DirectAxis has provided 50 tickets, transport and supporters’ packs for the teams and Tafelsig High teachers to attend.
“Our business is about helping people take advantage of life’s opportunities. Giving these young players and others around the country a chance to see a Currie Cup game, which they might otherwise not have had is part of that. The scholarship programme to support high school learners is another,” said Emanuel Cristaudo, CEO of DirectAxis Financial Services.
Support the Sunflower Fund at DHL Newlands:
You can show your support for The Sunflower Fund at the Currie Cup clash between DHL Western Province and the Steval Pumas, at DHL Newlands, on Saturday.
The Sunflower Fund is a non-profit organisation dedicated to creating awareness, educating the public and facilitating the registration process for people to join the South African Bone Marrow Registry (SABMR).
Increasing the number of donors listed on the national database offers hope to hundreds of South Africans with blood diseases such as leukaemia who have reached the point where their only chance of survival is a stem cell transplant.
Friday, 16 September is national Sunflower Day, and people are encouraged to show their support for this worthy cause by purchasing a tube of hope, or Tope. A Tope is a multipurpose article of clothing, with practical functionality, for the whole family and can be worn in a variety of ways – headband, mask, scarf, cap or armband.
Following on from Sunflower Day, The Sunflower Fund will be collecting donations at the gate ahead of the Currie Cup game between DHL Western Province and the Steval Pumas at DHL Newlands on Saturday. The Girl Guides will be on hand to assist The Sunflower Fund, wearing bright yellow t-shirts at the entrances to DHL Newlands collecting all donations.
Regional Manager, Western Cape of The Sunflower Fund, Adi Phillips, said that it is fantastic to team up with DHL Western Province to further strengthen their cause.
“We have a number of ambassadors who play for DHL Western Province, so the opportunity to come together with them on the day after Sunflower Day to raise funds at DHL Newlands is really exciting.
“The money raised by the collection at the gate at DHL Newlands on Saturday will be used to continue the momentum generated on Sunflower Day, to create more awareness of the importance of the South African Bone Marrow Registry,” he said.
President of the Western Province Rugby Football Union, Mr Thelo Wakefield, said that The Sunflower Fund deserves as much support as possible.
“I would like to encourage our faithful fans to support The Sunflower Fund, who do such important work, at DHL Newlands on Saturday.
“The South African Bone Marrow Registry is a beacon of hope, and we are proud to do everything we can to get behind The Sunflower Fund,” he said.
DHL Western Province player and The Sunflower Fund ambassador, Siya Kolisi, said that it is great to see his union getting behind such a worthy cause.
“I have been an ambassador for The Sunflower Fund for some time, and I hope to see some DHL Western Province fans wearing their Topes at DHL Newlands on Saturday,” he said.
All Blacks: Steve Hansen agrees his side have weaknesses
