The annual Soweto Rugby Tournament makes its return later this month with clear goals on the agenda - to develop more rugby players of colour, provide a platform for amateur clubs to showcase some of their best rugby, and to draw in more raw talent from the township into professional ranks.
Now in its third year, the tournament will take place over a 3 day period from the 26th-28th of April 2014 at the Bramfischer Multi-Purpose Centre, featuring 10 Senior teams and 10 Under-13 teams from throughout Gauteng, North West, KwaZulu Natal and Eastern Cape, with the aim to soon extend invitations to international clubs.
The tournament will be held under the banner: "Rugby after 20 Years of Democracy", organised by the Soweto Rugby Club in partnership with the Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation (GD-SACR) and the City of Johannesburg.
Gauteng Sport MEC, Lebogang Maile, has thrown his weight behind the tournament as one of the flagship projects of his department’s Club Development programme.
Maile said: “Our partnership with the Soweto Rugby Club in organising this tournament talks directly to our commitment of not only fostering development, but also that of participating in and facilitating transformation in the sport of rugby and other sports, true transformation will take place when all stakeholders embrace the necessity for transformation in sports and work together to ensure its success”.
Last year’s winners Eye of the Tiger Rugby Academy will be faced with stern competition when they return to defend their trophy against their rivals the Soweto Rugby Club and 8 other strong challengers.
Teams competing in this year’s tournament include: Tswaing (Gauteng: Blue Bulls RU), Eersterus (Gauteng: Blue Bulls RU), Atteridgeville (Gauteng: Blue Bulls RU), Soweto Rugby Club (Gauteng: Golden Lions RU), Eldoranians (Gauteng: Golden Lions RU), Valke Invitation XV (Gauteng: Valke), Eye Of The Tiger (Eastern Cape: National Academy), Matlosana Rugby Academy (North West: Leopards), KZN Vets (KwaZulu Natal, Sharks), Ngculu Zebras (Eastern Cape: Border)
Coaching Clinics
More than 150 children from the Braamfischerville community in Soweto, including surrounding schools, are expected to benefit from coaching clinics and mentoring to be conducted by the Soweto Rugby Club and other prominent rugby personalities, aimed at building rugby appreciation and attracting youngsters to take up rugby as their sport of choice.
The event also forms part of the Soweto Rugby Clubs efforts to transform Braamfischerville into a rugby township by 2016.
Members of the media are cordially invited to the event as diarised below:
Event: Soweto Rugby Tournament Coaching Clinics
Date: Saturday, 12 April 2014
Time: 9h00
Venue: Bramfischer Multi-Purpose Centre
For media inquiries:
Nomazwe Ntlokwana
Cell: 083 507 8068
Tel: 011 355 2578
Email: nomazwen@gpg.gov.za
