XV Reasons To Be Excited: #5 Andries
Andries Bekker
We’ve gone off the beaten track to select you a team of South African rugby players designed to bring a smile to your face. With the Springbok team looking battered and weary here are some of the players waiting in the wings, and cooling their heels out injured, to remind you how strong South African rugby continues to be.
The team thus far: 1. Beast Mtawarira 2. Bismarck du Plessis 3. Werner Kruger 4. Danie Rossouw
5. Andries Bekker
The Stormers lock silenced any remaining critics with an exceptional Super 14 campaign. Bekker had been accused in the past of shirking his responsibilies in the tight stuff, but he combined a mountain of tight work with his trademark runs. His lineout work has been praised by all and sundry, giving real hope that there will be life after Victor Matfield hangs up his boots. Off field distractions and injuries prevented him from taking his form through to Test rugby. He’d walk into any team in the world and, if he continues to work on his game and improve, could go on to match, or even exceed, the lofty heights achieved by his Springbok mentor.
One to watch: Juandre Kruger
Kruger caught the eye briefly in 2008 for the Blue Bulls, but saw limited opportunities in Pretoria with Matfield, Botha and Rossouw all ahead of him in the pecking order. He decided to further himself in the Guinness Premiership with Northampton where he achieved cult status at Franklin Gardens. He was named in the Premiership team of the season recently before returning to a welcoming Bulls set-up to pursue his dream of playing for the Boks. A huge talent – make no mistake.
Reasons to be excited #1 The Beast #2 Bismarck #3 Werner #4 Danie
What Will Become Of World Cup Stadiums?
No white elephant: Soccer City lights up beautifully as night falls
As the World Cup nears its conclusion, concerns over stadiums becoming white elephants have been raised again – with rugby posed as a possible solution.
South Africa must persuade its top rugby teams to use the new World Cup stadiums if the impressive infrastructure is to remain sustainable, top local officials have said. But while the world-champion Springboks are set to play archrivals the All Blacks at Soccer City next month, other rugby sides are reluctant to move from their homes to the new stadiums, indicating tough prospects ahead for the future upkeep of the new venues.
“I think that clearly there will have to be good balance of both football and rugby together to ensure proper use of the stadiums,” said Danny Jordaan, the chief organiser of South Africa’s hosting of the World Cup. “The premier soccer league also needs to relook at the profile of its teams and make them more attractive to all sectors of the population,” he said.
Six new venues were built for the month-long World Cup, including a complete overhaul of Soccer City. Four other venues were renovated, three of them traditional rugby stadiums. The South African Rugby Union are to announce this week they will host the 21 August Test against New Zealand at Soccer City, the first time a rugby match will be played at the stadium, which hosts the World Cup final.
“It is going to be easier for some cities than for others to make their stadiums work, but there must be engagement with all stakeholders,” Jordaan told reporters.
Private operators have been appointed to run the stadiums in Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Johannesburg after the World Cup, while tenders for stadium management companies to handle the stadiums in Durban and Polokwane are due out soon.
“There are a lot of opportunities that could be exploited by stadium operators,” said Ndavhe Ramakuela, who heads the 2010 office of the Polokwane municipality. “Football clubs are keen, for example, to come and use our stadium on a regular basis.”
WHITE ELEPHANT
But Polokwane does not have its own local team, the nearest based in Pretoria some two hours drive away. Nor does it have a rugby franchise, although the Super 14 champions Blue Bulls, usually based at Pretoria’s Loftus Versfeld, have hosted minor matches in Polokwane in the past. It raises fears incidental use will not be enough to avoid the stadium becoming a ‘white elephant’.
Nelspruit is another city with neither a football nor rugby team and the future of its new stadium is uncertain. Municipal officials previously said they would continue to run the Mbombela Stadium, and would seek to expand it into a multi-sports arena.
In Cape Town, the Stormers have already rejected enticements to move from Newlands, the city’s rugby home for more than a century, to the Green Point Stadium, now being run by a joint venture company, half-owned by Stade de France.
Durban’s Sharks are set to continue playing at King’s Park, the 55,000-seater stadium right next door to the new Moses Mabhida Stadium.
In both cases the rugby unions own, or have long-term leases, on their stadiums and are not willing to risk becoming tenants.
But Cape Town and Durban’s top soccer sides have committed to playing in the new venues when the local season starts next month, albeit at a favorable rental.
“The strategy for all these new stadiums needs to be cleverly thought out if they are to be sustainable,” consultant George Stainton explained. “You also don’t want to lose their iconic appeal.”
“A lot of work now has to be done in this area,” added Jordaan.
(REUTERS)
Sharks Sign Ross Skeate
The Sharks have signed lock Ross Skeate from France on a two year contract, effective 1 July, 2010 to 30 June 2012. The former Stormers and Toulon player will be a great asset to The Sharks.
After leaving Western Province and the Stormers two years ago, he joined Toulon who were on the brink of relegation. This season, they became European Cup finalists as well as qualifying for the Heineken Cup. He is acknowledged as a leader who assisted in the successful turnabout process for the club.
“My desire to play rugby in a team with a blend of international players, learn a new language and improve my forward play took me to France and I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Toulon which I see as a success,” he explains.
“However, despite the team’s fortunes, I have a desire to return to South Africa and have chosen The Sharks as the right culture and team environment to continue my career. I believe my rugby philosophy and that of The Sharks is very similar and hence my decision to play in Durban. I look forward to it with eager anticipation.”
Ross boasts an impressive playing pedigree that includes age group representativity (SA Under 19 and Under 21), Western Province and Stormers (90 caps including captaincy), Emerging Springboks, UK Barbarians, Southern Kings vs British & Irish Lions and 45 caps for Toulon in the French Top 14 as well as eight caps in the European Cup.
“With the loss of one of our most senior players, Johann Muller, we have decided to add an experienced player in Ross Skeate,” explains coach John Plumtree. “He is considered a senior player at Toulon, as he was at Western Province, and that is something that stands him in good stead here at The Sharks because of his leadership qualities and experience. He’s a fantastic character.
“He is a mobile, versatile player, an intelligent person who brings all round lock-specific as well as forward athleticism to the game. We look forward to having him here and welcome him with open arms.”
With thanks to Sharksrugby.co.za
Southern Hemisphere Rugby Rules
Springbok captain John Smit in Cardiff: All in a day's work
South Africa, along with the other rugby powerhouses of the Southern Hemisphere, has remained dominant in World Rugby for the better part of the past two decades – much to the dismay of Northern Hemisphere pundits.
Prior to the inaugural 1987 World Cup, European nations crossed the equator in the infrequent expeditions of the amateur rugby union era with understandable trepidation.
Aside from a handful of celebrated exceptions, notably France’s famous 1958 series win over South Africa, the southern hemisphere citadels usually repelled all invaders with ease. Fast forward to 2010 and, after six World Cups and the advent of professional union, the only difference appears to be the sheer number of modern internationals.
Each of the Six Nations championship contenders will be in action in the southern hemisphere this month in a frenetic series of internationals. But, with the possible exception of grand slam champions France, they will have travelled much as they did during most of the 20th century – with hopes higher than expectations.
World champions South Africa, who have won the ultimate tournament twice in four appearances, set out their stall last weekend when a team with probably four first-choice players at most, defeated Wales 34-31 in Cardiff. The Springboks beat the British and Irish Lions last year, they are the current Tri-Nations champions, and the Bulls defeated the Stormers in an all-South Africa Super 14 provincial final.
South Africa will play Six Nations champions France in a one-off test on Saturday between possibly the two major contenders at next year’s World Cup in New Zealand.
DISMAL RECORD
France, as they were in 1987 when they lost the World Cup final to New Zealand in Auckland, are the standard bearers for European rugby. But they are missing key players through injury and coach Marc Lievremont has made it consistently clear that all his efforts are concentrated on winning the World Cup for the first time.
Since England became the first, and to date, only European country to win the World Cup in 2003, the four home nations have lost all 25 away matches against Tri-Nations opposition. England, who face a two-test series against the Wallabies, have gone backwards since 2003 and they were lucky to escape with a 28-28 draw against the Australian Barbarians on Tuesday.
Ireland, who have never beaten New Zealand, and Wales, who have never defeated them away, play one and two tests respectively against the All Blacks. The Irish faltered this year after winning the 2009 grand slam and they will take the field without the Lions captain Paul O’Connell. Wales, as they showed against South Africa, often look like world-beaters for an hour before fading in the final quarter.
Scotland, with two tests in Argentina, has on paper the easiest task. Argentina, though, has always been a difficult tour for any side, the Pumas possess a redoubtable pack and the Scots have beaten them only twice in 10 tests.
The World Cup has changed the face of rugby with every test, tour and championship now viewed in the context of the four-yearly tournament. What has not changed is the gulf between the hemispheres.
REUTERS
Jean De Villiers Returns To WP
WP Rugby on Tuesday announced that Springbok centre Jean de Villiers has returned to the Newlands fold and will be available for Currie Cup and Super 15 duty until the end of the 2011 season.
De Villiers spent the past year with the Irish outfit Munster but has decided to return to South Africa with the intention of securing a place in the Springbok squad for the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.
The announcement was made by WP’s Senior Professional Coach Rassie Erasmus and MD of WP Rugby (Pty) Ltd Rob Wagner at the High Performance Centre in Bellville.
The other big scoop for the union was the acquisition of prop CJ van der Linde who has just returned to South Africa after a two-year stint in Ireland with Leinster. He will be playing for the Free State Cheetahs in the Currie Cup competition until the end of the year, and then takes up a one-year contact with Province for the 2011 season.
The Fiji-born wing Sireli Naqelevuki has parted ways with Newlands after his contract came to an end. He has returned to Fiji and has been named in his country’s national team to play Japan over the weekend. He produced some excellent performances during the Super 14 season and some European clubs have shown interest in him.
Flyhalf Peter Grant will not be around for the Currie Cup season as he has been given leave to play in Japan. Despite several excellent performances for the Stormers this year, Grant has not found favour with Springbok coach Peter de Villiers and was overlooked for recent Springbok squads.
Grant will, however, return to Cape Town for the Super 15 season.
With thanks to SA Rugby.com
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