Young guns to be explosive at Lackay festival
JUNIOR rugby action will be taking centre-stage at Alphendale High and United RFC fields when the annual Aubrey Lackay Memorial Heritage Festival hosted by the John Bisseker Alumni gets under way tomorrow.
This festival is used to kick-off the summer rugby programme hosted each year, with schools from around Buffalo City Metro taking part.
“I had this programme for many years when I was a teacher and when I retired in 2009, eventually the programme died slowly because teachers were not up to it, so I am trying to revive it now,” explained Border rugby team manager David Ruiters.
“I like to use this festival as a springboard every season to get the kids excited and ready for rugby.
“Every year I start off with the Heritage festival in September and then we have the programme every week on a Saturday through the fourth term and even into the December holidays, before we break over the Christmas period and then get back under way when schools open in January and finish at the end of summer.”
A host of schools are expected to turn out for the day of fun junior rugby action which will be played over the entire day.
Around 200-250 kids should be in attendance and should make for a fun day out, that is designed to also try help keep kids off of the streets.
“This isn't about normal serious rugby, this for me is about fun games just to create a vibe and to bring the love of the game back to the kids,” claimed Ruiters.
“So they will play five-a-side, seven-a -side and 10-a-side rugby, with the emphasis on fun and we will then continue this programme all through the summer season.”
Schools from the Parkside, Pefferville, Buffalo Flats, Duncan Village, Eziphunzana, Scenery Park, Reeston and Amalinda are being encouraged to get involved.
So far Aspiranza, Cranberry, John Bisseker, Alphendale, Scenery Park, AW Barnes as well as four schools from Mdantsane have responded that they will attend tomorrow’s event.
“In my area there are 14 primary schools and four high schools, but I invite schools from all over to come and get involved and bring their kids to take part,” said Ruiters.
“My biggest hope from having this programme is that people will see how deprived our schools are of the game and if a business person in the area could come in and help us it would be fantastic for the programme.”
This year’s heritage festival is also looking to give back to the community as it is aimed at raising funds for the DJ Sobey Old-Age Home which caters for 72 senior, frail care residents.
Tomorrow morning the kids will arrive at 8.30am, with a welcome and some warmups and drills for an hour from 9am, with the action then kicking off at 10am and finishing in the afternoon at around 4.30pm.