Battle only fit for legends. The Kings went far and wide to find sons who would bring them back to glory. However the Kings forgot to look at their tribal laws on “adopted sons”. SARU huffed and he puffed…but the sons did not return! Days and weeks went by before the Lions village were medium rare and ready to prove a point! This excitement sadly died fast in the Gauteng Challenge! Then the day of the SANZAR tournament had arrived…
because all we can think about is TOUCH PAUSE ENGAGE!
A few days ago I read an article on the racism in rugby and so I decided to put in my 2 cents too. I might not be well established in the systems of the game or the bureaucracy of it all but look let’s call cupcakes cupcakes and put it on the table and I do warn you, this dish is served chilled! Rugby is/was a “white” sport! Its like each culture or nation was served its own specific sport. The Americans football/Basket ball ,the Brazilians soccer,the Canadians Ice hockey and the Indians cricket! It is what it is! In a diverse country such as ours we find several sports fighting for the limelight which is good. Growing up I naturally gravitated towards soccer because its a big sport in my community!Family events,school breaks and after school usually ended with a game of soccer(where I was)! As school takes its influence on us the lucky children then decide which sport they like best and others are forced into a particular sport! However we can argue about strategies schools can implement to better the exposure and experience of sports into kids lives (first impressions and stuff like that). As talents are developed and experience is gained the politics of the game rises. This is usually round about high school where players become business! No sport is innocent,people call in “favours” all the time! Here’s the bone I’m picking (remember this is my opinion!): why is rugby the only sport I know of that is getting heat for not having enough colour in the XV’s. This rweally tickles my pickle, they were 2 white okes in the bafana bafana starting team in yesterdays game and that has its own explanation and so does rugby(good and bad)! So what if black children don’t want to play rugby and white children don’t want to play soccer and if the opposite happens that’s wonderful, because it does happen! Not all statistics can reflect diversity! I’ve come to see that people do well at things they genuinely like doing! In the same breathe I can say that I do understand that they might be unfair decisions when it comes to race but our country’s fought so hard to bring the day where it was the content of the person not the colour! There are brilliant rugby players out there black, white, coloured,indian,orange purple and green! I’m just suggesting that we refine the talent we have and not subtract justified talent to make up for colour! Yes we can make improvements in several departments but we can’t waste talent because of the colour of the gift wrap! I know my argument is shaky but I hope you get me when I say let rugby be rugby and not try alter it because it doesn’t look “diversified”……phew now I’m going to have a cupcake!
because all we can think about is TOUCH PAUSE ENGAGE!
We’ve all seen the lion king more of us on video rather than Dvd or blue ray! However I am afraid that not many have seen or witnessed the “lion/king”.Fortunately I can say “Do not cry as as your Mufasa is here to save the day!” The lion/king starts a little something like this. “Very recently in the kingdom of SARU lived 2 villages who were starved from goals, poor management skills and coach problems. The lions had recently found a gold currie cup while the Sharks and Bulls were away on war! Their great leader Josh Strauss lifted the cup and the village was happy….but only for a short while that is! 2012 was a hard year for the village. Misunderstood coaches and famine hit the already grief striken village! On the other side of the kingdom there was a village called EP kings. The kings were not well known in the kingdom, like not even “George of the jungle” knows about this place! Then suddenly SARU had an “aha moment” and decided to throw the village of the lions into the simmering(its not even boiling!) pot of relegation and the EP kings into the kingdom of SANZAR’s tournament where villages give up their most talented sons to fight in a…
because all we can think about is TOUCH PAUSE ENGAGE!
Its that time of the year again when employees head back to work and teachers prepare classrooms but most of all when rugby players boot up and head back to the field! To the average person this means nothing but to us “the chosen ones” its like the horrible winter before the blissful summer! The pruning begins. Yes training for tournaments begins tomorrow(or whenever)! This is more epic than the last episode of Oprah’s final season! Whatever they do now will determine their victory! Coaches go back to the drawing board,players set new goals, fans budget for tickets and a new leaf is turned. The most wonderful thing about it is that previous mistakes are no longer mistakes but lessons, missed balls become improvements and losses become…well they stay the same! This is the part where the players are separated from the legends, a few kilograms are lost to maximise speed and a few are gained to stabalise a scrum! That’s not the crux of the matter though,in all stadiums,fields or training facilities there’s a new found hope, hope to win super rugby,currie cup,vodacom cup or improve for the world staged Webb Ellis Cup! Its rweally interesting how players and management erase the losses,disappointments and couch coaches criticism! They say the first day of training is always the worst, to some extent its true but in rugby the worst day of training is a castle in the sky! Today’s training will perfect that crucial ball in the finals, the tackle that saves the team,the penalty that serves the trophy but ultimately it will decide the difference between 1st and 2nd place! As training starts remember that the picture of a champion is him drenched in sweat and tolled with exhaustion when no one is looking! Anyone can be a player but it takes a special kind of person to be a Rugby player! (or is that too cheesy to get you motivated!) 
Let’s do it!
because all we can think about is TOUCH PAUSE ENGAGE!
Most want new and improved items under the tree but let’s not forget the history of the original concept of the day. so here’s my ultimate christmas list. Ohkay so I’ll start locally (smart move,progression and stuff)here it goes.1 May the MTN Lions realise their true potential,they’ve been punished enough(super rugby participation loss)! I mean if so many clubs keep signing your players then maybe you just might be onto something! 2. May the EP Kings start listening to the SARU (south african rugby union) rules. After been given the opportunity to compete in the Super rugby championships(only like the nutritional value of all rugby tournaments) South African Rugby Clubs are only allowed to sign 2 foreign players but not for the Kings of rugby of course .3 Look! I’m not a EP Kings hater neither am I a big fan but Super rugby is one of the toughest tournaments (travel arrangements are hectic!)so they can’t afford to still be fixing their skirt so I’m hoping they showcase they true talent and put some blood to the bone! So may the EP kings do well(not win, we have to be realistic people!) in SR.4 Die blou bulle, I rweally hope they regain they former glory! The BB’s symbolise and embody the persona of south african rugby!I have no doubt that they will fall to victory because they’ve signed a few amazing players and coaches.5 May the lions get a coach that will rweally just bring out their true potential and that John Mitchell be given a second chance because he did lead them into CC victory (or maybe players were away on the RWC 2011)and let’s not forget that he got robbed!.6 Sonny B williams! The guy is amazing and so is his history so I hope he has adapted well to his new location(Japan)so it will only be a matter of time till he scores like the legend he is. 7 Talking about Sonny I hope his good friend Quade Cooper (everyone’s love to hate /love rugby guy) will find /channel his known rugby talent and continue to push his limits! 8 ohkay now this colour thing in rugby doesn’t tickle me right! I know we made mistakes in the past but we’ll only be repeating them if we put colour before content. Everyone struggles to “make it” black and white in the 22 so I say equal opportunity to all(who0p wh0op yay!!!) 9 Heir kom die bokke! You can say its the players/coach/management to blame for our “poor performance” but unless you can boot up and take a tackle or 2 without flexing we can talk! Our boys are Brilliant but I’m hoping next year we can be invincible! 10 The final wish.Not born in Potchefstroom but the north west Luiperds could rweally do with some luck! Never watched a game but I swear I could taste they potential! I rweally hope (and I say this from the bottom of my heart) that something happens. They rweally do have potential!
P.S Santa I’ve been rweally good this year so and I’m not asking for much
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Not only did I wake up to the unveiling of the stormers new jersey but also to applause of Richie McCaw’s award as player of the year! This however got me thinking “what about Israel?” Please, I do understand the brilliance of Richie and would never question his leadership abilities cause that would just make me stupid! As a mildly capped (25) player “Issy” hasn’t sort of moved mountains like others but I can tell you this,he’s shaken and moved soccer city a few times! He scored the games winning try all thanks to Ma’a this year and also danced his way to the try line with Schalk B to thank giving NZ that much more reason to win the investic tri nations thing mawig ,selected as one of the most promising players for 2006, after making 25 appearances in two seasons Issy managed to bag 133 points for his mates,scoring the first try in the 2011 RWC and one of the tournaments top scorers (in pool rounds),sort of managed to retire Mils Muliaina with 98 caps (eina!). Have you read enough or do you want more. As I went deeper into my research I realised that there was a more delicate side to this immortal…his trails and tribulations rweally do touch my heart -and so do his muscles- I’m not saying he should be captain or he should be awarded player of the year but sometimes the rweally good- crunchy- with- that- unexpected-softness cookie lies at the bottom of the cOokie jar. Still very young but I’m telling you thank me later . PS Wikipedia-Please find a better picture of him! Reference :http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_Dagg
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So its quite obvious how sevens rugby has stolen my heart but do you blame me?! Rugby union teams are either in preseason training or on holiday so what else can I do? This weekend will be the NMB premier league IN GEORGE where provincial clubs and others will bring to the table their, young players-well almost most-who will be ripping apart that 22! Can’t wait to see the teams in action and hopefully get to see the Kriel brothers in action.There’s just so much more to it though (which I still have to discover). Speaking of young players one should take a look at the baby boks,the team is mostly composed of people my age…uhm duh! They were vewi successful in their tournament and I think they actually won the whole thing (saw pictures of what looked like a trophy with boys cheering and confetti everywhere,I could be wrong though) Anyway I think Pretoria is the place to be next year and by Pretoria I mean “Die blou bulle!” Not just their junior teams but the franchise itself, these kids are practically signing anyone that is Rugby brilliant or at least was (Pierre Spies, he will always be.) Signing 14 players from the SA baby boks team now that shook my braai stand! Anyway back to Sevens,I might not be from Durban but Plumtree’s coaching style leaves me loyal so I’m going with the Sharks! I’ve got a feeling we won’t pull a CC final episode! I am rather intimidated by the cheetahs Raymond Rhule but I’ve heard that a cheetah can only run at its full speed for only 10 seconds so we’ll be more than fine! SO let’s dive deep into the SHARK tank for a good 14 minutes of solid sevens rugby . • @KhumieM if you wanna chat rugby and tell me how wonderful I am and stuff like that
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