Club rugby in Western Province received a huge boost with the announcement by the Department of Culture Affairs and Sport of the Western Cape Government that they will give financial support to 25 rugby clubs.

The 25 clubs that will benefit from this three year development programme are: Collegians (Mitchells Plain); Tygerberg, Elsies River, Lagunya (Nyanga), Langa,  Silverleaf (Elsies River), Noordelikes (Elsies River), Hamediehs (Athlone), Watsonia (Athlone), Blue Jets (Khayelitsha), Manenberg Rangers, Temperance (Athlone), Perseverance (Athlone), Busy Bees (Langa), Richmond Rangers (Elsies River), Caledonian Roses (Athlone), Thistle (Bonteheuwel), Bishop Lavis (Retreat), Peninsula (Retreat), Mitchells Plain, Progress (Athlone), Khayelitsha, and Delft and Cities (Athlone).

Originally 31 clubs were invited to be part of this development programme but the clubs Scottsdene (Kraaifontein), Young Wesleys (Phillippi), Rangers (Athlone), Rocklands (Mitchells Plain), and Atlantis and Young Ideas (Langa) failed to attend the meeting of the steering committee and therefore ruled themselves out from taking part in this exciting development programme.

The development programme will focus on the following:

• club coaches will receive intensive training;
• training of referees;
• training of first aid staff;
• financial assistance with new kit and equipment;
• free transport to all away games.

It is estimated that these clubs spent individually on average R30 000 on transport costs for away games and in the current tough economic climate this will be a huge financial boost to the 25 clubs.

“This is exciting news for club rugby in Western Province,” says the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the WP Rugby Football Union, Mr Herman Abrahams. “We believe that the overall quality of rugby at the clubs will vastly improve with the extensive training of the club’s coaches and referees.  In the past many aspiring coaches and referees did not have the financial means to attend training courses and this development project will offer them the opportunity to achieve their potential as coaches and referees.”

Mr Abrahams further commented, “This rugby partnership with the Department of Culture and Sport is valued by the WP Rugby Football Union and we must give thanks to the Department for their support of club rugby in the Western Province.” He added that the Department of Culture and Sport have set out specific guidelines how the programme should be implemented and clubs will need to follow the guidelines carefully.  “Clubs that for example fail to submit in time the names of members who want to attend the coaching clinics, referees and first-aid courses will not receive funding in this development programme.”

The 25 clubs will also take part in a sevens tournament.  The first leg of the tournament will be played on Wednesday 24 February at Tygerberg and Avonwood and the finals will be played on Thursday 25 February at Florida Park. The top 6 teams at this tournament will represent the WP Union at a regional tournament in Oudtshoorn between teams of SWD, Boland and WP Country.