Let the real Springbok stand up !
1 Aug 2007
Springbok Rugby Club competes in the Namaqualand region of Griquas. The league consist out of nine clubs who play a single round robin, after which the top four teams play in the first division, and the bottom five in the second. This is a double round on a home and away basis, with the top two clubs to play in the final.
As one can imagine, this means a lot of travelling. We will cover about 3000 kilometer’s by the end of the season, of which more than a 1000 is on gravel roads. That is if we have a home final, which looks likely at this stage. I suppose some amateur players don’t do that amount of travelling in a career. This is also done without any help from Griquas, not even a single rugby ball. OK, they do pay the referees, but sometimes it seem that we can do better without them.
As a team we really do well, and we won 9 out of 10 games thus far, scoring 333 points(53 tries) against 79(12 tries). Twelve of our players also represented the Namaqualand regional side, who competed in the Griquas Regional competition. They reached the final, where they unfortunately lost by 1 point against the Kimberley region. A great performance nevertheless.
We have great spirit and camaraderie in the club, and still play for the beer after the game. Needless to say that about 80% of our funds are generated in our pub. Nobody can motivate a player to travel 320 km on a gravel road, to play a rugby game on a rock hard gravel pitch. It has to be love for the game. Or maybe the beer thereafter.
One Comment
30 Aug 2007, 16:15 pm
hats off to these guys!
I did basic training in Upington (I must have been evil in another life!) and I went to Springbok to compete in a regional athletics meeting.
WOW! How people can actually live there let alone be so positive is amazing. It is in the middle of nowhere, it is dry and HOT and the last thing you would feel like doing after a day at work in that place is to go and practice on a semi-gravel rugby field.
I say well done to the boys for their positive attitude and for the results that they have achieved.
Our pro’s can take a lesson from these guys. I think our contracted players often get massive ego’s (just look at the cricket players) and they loose sight of why we all originally started to play the game.
Well done Springbok!!!!
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