Legends Cup

Kick-start for township school's rugby

More than 5 000 school children will be introduced to rugby as part of an ambitious new program (Legends Cup) to foster the game to Cape Town's townships.

The Legends Cup, through the VUKA Tournament, aims to establish a rugby-playing culture over 50 schools - most of which do not currently play the game. The initiative is a partnership between SA Rugby Legends Association, Ubumbo (UCT internal league member), UCTRFC, the Department of Education, and the Western Province Rugby Football Union and is endorsed by SA Rugby.

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Players
"The aim is to eventually have four teams per school at Under 19, Under 16, Under 14 and girls' level," said Gerald Njengele (WPRFU Executive and principal of Zimasa High School, Langa). "Our first aim is to get these kids involved in some sport and away from the attractions of the gangs. This development project could literally transform SA Rugby from the grass roots upwards".

Coaches
"We want to create a rugby culture in these schools with every player appearing in their own school colours, thus giving them dignity. Ubumbo & UCTRFC will send their members out to help coach the coaches in conjunction with WPRFU development officers, and then continue throughout the year to help the coaches in the different schools. We hope to have all coaches put through level 1 coaching qualification before the start of the tournament," says Barry O'Mahony from UCTRFC.

Referees
"We are going to get the retired referees out to help to mentor the new referees that we will develop. These referees will then get constant feedback and we will be able to bring them into the main rugby structures in time", Freek Burger of the Freek Burger Academy.

Organization
The biggest obstacle we have in getting the tournament going is kit. We have the players, the coaches, the referees, the mentors and the zones organizing committee. "We now want the SA Rugby public and business community to come and back this initiative with sponsorship", says Mike Barr, SA Rugby Legends Association (WP) and head of the organizing committee for the Legends Cup.

The Legends Cup tournament will be split into 3 phases:
1. Coaching the coaches and getting coaches through Level 1 courses. This will take place between Feb and March 2009.
2. Vuka tournament (which means 'awakening'). This is where more than 50 schools play in 8 zones from March to June.
3. Mega 8 June to September.

Vuka (which means 'awakening'), as a central plank of its strategy, also provides a competitive framework for the schools which will be divided into four zones: Mitchells Plain, Khayaletshia, Gugulethu/Nyanga and Langa.

The Vuka tournament will run from March to June and involve schools playing on their local field against their zonal schools on a Wednesday afternoon - eliminating the transport problem that has bedeviled development in the past. Those schools already in the WPRFU structure will continue to fulfill their fixtures.

Each of the eight zones will choose a representative team who will contest the Mega 8 Tournament for the Legends Cup. This tournament will be played from July to September. The final of which will hopefully be played at Newlands as curtain raiser to a Western Province Currie Cup match.

"Through the Legends Cup (Vuka and Mega 8 Tournaments) we will get communities playing rugby in a structured manner, which will eventually feed into WP Rugby structures. We will help develop thousands of players, hundreds of coaches and mentor many referees", Rob Louw SA Rugby legends.

"We will save at least one boy from a life of crime. We will find talented players and we will gives these kids a sense of pride, not only in their school jersey, but in themselves as well. Now that is Transformation!" Dale Santon, SA Rugby Legend.

Pictured L-R: Pierre Ribbens (SA Rugby Legends Association), Gerald Njengele (WPRFU Executive), Mike Barr (SA Rugby Legends Association), Ismail Teladia (Department of Education), Barry O'Mahony (UCTRFU), Freek Burger (Freek Burger Academy)