Battlelines drawn for Heritage festival

THE annual Raymond Mhlaba National Heritage Rugby Tournament is set to kick-off today at the University of Fort Hare’s Davidson Stadium until Monday.

The festival will see some of the best local and out of province teams fighting for top positions and amazing prizes.

The tournament's organiser described the sporting spectacle as a feast of rugby action where various teams from around the municipal jurisdiction, Port Elizabeth, Ginsburg and North West province would be battling it out for the R40 000 first prize on offer.

The tournament has been split into two pools where local teams will play against each other in Pool B and those from outside Raymond Mhlaba are set to play in Pool A.

African Bombers, Matlosana Academy, Zwide United are just some of the teams leading the pack that have already confirmed their participation in the tournament while Ginsburg Rugby Club will be unveiling their brand new kit.

Chairman of the Raymond Mhlaba Sports Council Joe Ndlebe said if quality of the teams is anything to go by, this year’s edition was going to be both tough.

“Among the teams to be part of the tournament are Star of Hope from Uitenhage, Ginsburg Rugby Club, Siyakhula Youth Rugby from Uitenhage, Matlosana Academy from Rustenburg, Star of Hope also from Uitenhage and others.

“In a twist of events, this year we will see the Fort Beaufort Springrose, which usually played in Pool B, battling it out with the Pool A teams gunning for the big prize.”

Ndlebe said the rugby spectacle was in conjunction with University of Fort Hare and the Victoria East Rugby Union.

“The tournament has been a stepping stone for many players who have turned professional and it also promotes our indigenous activities that take place,” he said.

“This a national event where you will see teams coming as far as from Lonmin, Ikagenga and from PE with teams like Zwide United and other teams from across the country.

“We want to identify talent and promote rugby because this event is in the calendar of Saru and they have sent scouts to identify raw talent at the tournament.

“Saturday we will be having a Gala dinner where all stalwarts, including former Springboks, will converge.

“We have invited Minister of Sport Thulas Nxesi but unfortunately he said he would not be able to make it this time and we have also interacted with Gideon Sam [Sascoc president] and Border Rugby Union president Pumlani Mkolo,” he said.

This year’s Pool A winner will walk away with R40 000 while Pool B winner will get R20 000. Saru has deployed scouting agents to pick the cream of the crop.

Another rugby festival taking place this weekend will be the United RFC Heritage Festivalat the RG Foster Stadium in Buffalo Flats tomorrow.