Legends of Rugby at Kathu

The SA Rugby Legends visit to Kathu, a mining town 12 kilometres north east of Dingleton (Sishen) in the Kalahari last weekend was a huge success as they get set to launch yet another of their Legacy Parks projects in the area.

Besides taking the game of rugby to the people of Kathu, there was a far bigger picture as to why they visited to the region.

Kathu is known as the iron ore capital of the Northern Cape was only established in 1973 and acquired municipal status in 1980 and is connected by road and rail to the nearby city of Kimberly. The legends, in conjunction with the Bestwood Development who have acquired some 200 hectares at the entrance of the small Kalahari town, have earmarked their latest Legacy Park as part of the development project.

Marius Vivier CEO of CMC Property Group, the company involved in the Bestwood Development, advised that they had received The Record of Decision (ROD) for 2800 opportunities within an integrated mixed use settlement, where residents will be able to work, live, pray, educate and most importantly, play sport of all kinds.

For this very reason the developers of Bestwood will donate the land and erect a Legacy Park to the value of R2 500 000 in phase one of the Bestwood development once the all-clear has been given and as Vivier explained that could be within the next few weeks.

With this exciting new project in place CEO of SA Rugby Legends John Allan advised that he has also been talking to the Griquas Rugby Union President and CEO as part of the SARU and SARLA joint venture to transform the game mainly in the rural areas, to set up one of their Iqhawe programmes for their region. Iqhawe is the Legends Social Development Program, which has had enormous success in KwaZulu Natal and Border where the word itself translated means champion or hero something that all future generations should aspire to.

Here talent is identified in schools outside your traditional rugby playing schools where Craven week boys come from and after an 3 month telent ID program each province will identify 40 kids who for 8 months will be part of the Iqhawe program to not only coach them rugby skills but empower them with knowledge on HIV/AIDS, Drugs and Crime prevention where they will pass this knowledge onto their peers. The ultimate goal is to have an Iqhawe rugby week where all boys from non-traditional rugby playing schools will compete for the honour of representing the SA Iqhawe Team at the Craven week and possibly a place in the SA Schools team.