De Villiers the buzz at Hudson

HUDSON Park High School was a buzz this past Wednesday evening when the school, along with main sponsor NFB, hosted an evening of rugby with former Springbok legend Jean de Villiers.

It was the third annual evening that has been hosted between the high and primary schools, with last year seeing Victor Matfield at Hudson Primary and, in 2016, Nick Mallet was the guest of honour at the high school.

The evening is held as part of a fundraiser for the school, and saw 480 people attend this year’s event.

“The funds go towards our coaching structures and support for our players in need,” said Hudson head of rugby, James Winstanley, who was also co-host on the night along with former Border and Blitzbok player Dale Heidtmann.

“We pride ourselves on our investment into the coaching programme, and it’s a more sustainable model than throwing scholarships around.

“To this end we have been very successful as we continue to attract talented pupils who want to utilise their potential and play and compete at the highest level.”

The Dispatch managed to catch up with De Villiers before the night got under way.

“I enjoy coming to these nights, especially at schools, and the fact that it’s a fundraiser, to be able to help is always special,” said De Villiers.

“East London is a rugby place and I enjoy that.

“The opportunity to reflect on your career is pretty special sometimes and you never know where the evening will go and what kind of questions will come out, and sometimes the different places you go and different things come out again and you relive the good old days, I suppose.

“It’s also a networking opportunity. It’s an opportunity to meet new people and just promote the game of rugby, which I believe we all love.”

With De Villiers still very involved in rugby as an analyst on SuperSport, he still had a keen knowledge of the inner workings of South African rugby, with close relationships with players and coaches.

On the night he even predicted the team to play this weekend against England and got it spot on, showing the strong contacts he still has in the game.

“I am still very much involved with the SuperSport stuff, but also with a lot of the players and coaches as well, and travelling to the Test matches here in South Africa gives me an opportunity to tap into the coaches’ minds and get a better idea of what they are trying to do,” said De Villiers.

In all it was an enjoyable evening, with Winstanley and Heidtmann interviewing De Villiers, and many laughs were had by an appreciative crowd.

Many people will now be looking forward to who Hudson will bring next year.