Six youngsters from the Morningstar Rugby Club in Durbanville had a unique chance to watch the greatest rivalry in rugby between the Springboks and the All Blacks, which took place on Saturday at DHL Stadium.
These young athletes are part of the U/13 Morningstar Rugby Club, founded in 2015 with the aim of reviving rugby in the community and providing youth with a place to develop and realize their potential. The club recently launched a youth program (U8-U13), and one former player has already achieved success playing rugby abroad.
Thanks to the organization by Pick n Pay School Club, the boys were able to get autographs from Springboks player Mani Leibobok and observe the actions of their favorite athletes. Among the participants who were thrilled were Xavier Pinaar, Darren Okhuys, twins Ashwin and Cheswin Williams, Luke Smith, and Jameel Goliath, as well as their coach Aldo Karels, who attended the Bok match and DHL Stadium for the first time.
Outside the stadium, where the boys called themselves 'future Springboks,' they continued to admire the size of the stadium and tried to capture every moment. Darren was seen saying: 'Vat ‘n photo van my voor die stadium' (Take a photo of me in front of the stadium), spreading his arms wide.
When the boys entered the stadium, they danced to music, smiling and seriously singing the national anthem while placing a hand on their chest. However, during the game, the children were tense, carefully analyzing the course of the match and encouraging each other, saying phrases like 'defence boys.'
It could be heard someone saying: 'Kyk wat doen Damian (Willemse)' (Look what Damian (Willemse) is doing), 'jy moet ook daai doen' (you must do that too)... 'Kyk daai man se bene.' (Look at that guy's legs).' The coach also motivated them regarding the actions on the field.
After the final whistle, when the Springboks won 33-26, the boys moved forward, where Jameel Goliath and Luke Smith received signed sweatshirts from Mani Leibobok. Coach Karels noted: 'This is an absolutely unforgettable experience; words cannot describe how grateful we are for this opportunity and experience, and it is incredible just to watch the Springboks win on the land of Cape Town, where we come from.'
He added: 'We come from a community with insufficient resources where we don't always have the opportunity to experience what we experienced, so we are so grateful because where else could the boys get these opportunities? They are future Springboks.' Luke shared: 'The game was good. My favorite part was when it was between the posts. I also got Mani's signed jersey, so I am happy. It was great to see my two favorite players, Damian Willemse and Canan Moody.' Cheswin added: 'I also want to be a Springbok. I like watching them play, and I'm glad the Springboks won.'