Yes, it’s Rugby-Talk.com’s birthday today!
On 28 July 2009 a number of us packed our goodies and left the place where we previously discussed rugby, because it was’nt pleasant to discuss rugby anymore. Our discussions there was marred by terrible fighting between bloggers, by racial slurring and racial abuse and it was a shambles, to say the least.
We had our own “THING” in mind and amongst us there were 2 IT guys, myself and a chap called Ed-The Lion. We immediately started a temporary blog where a few friends continued to discuss rugby, whilst I started constructing our new home, Rugby-Talk.com.
At that stage web design was not my strong point or my expertice, but as an avid and accomplished coder, I set to work and chose the WordPress platform after proper research.
I signed Rugby-Talk.com on at the Web Hosts, Bluehost.com in the States, as it looked like they would provide a long term stable hosting scenario. I installed WordPress on the webspace and created our SQL Database and then started making use of one of the many free WordPress Themes out there (one which was quite adaptable, namely the Atahualpa Theme).
Soon we had a little Rugby-Talk Logo going and the bare essentials as far as Plugins are concerned and on 13 August 2009 we placed our FIRST ARTICLE and our FIRST PAGES and the site went live, with initial bloggers like Grootblousmile, Pietman, SuperBul, Supa Die Bloubul, KingPaul, Ed-The Lion, AB, Cuzzy, Kwagga Robertse, isigidi, Koos, SA Barbarians & K9.
We were a group of friends, no more and no less… who shared a love for rugby.
Soon some of our other blogging friends joined, whilst some other folks deliberately shun Rugby-Talk.com because they had not seen eye to eye with us at the previous website, from which we had migrated.
In no time Rugby-Talk.com got busier and busier and the public out there started to become aware of us.
None of us were journalists, but we soon adapted and we got better and better at playing rugby journalist, whilst our content soon expanded and started improving, due to pure hard work and a passion for our game.
On 31 October 2009 I decided to start measuring Page Impressions on the website and applied a Plugin for that measure, which we still use to this day, 11.3 Million Page Impressions later.
Some more Plugins were added as time went on, some were kept, some were discarded and some were replaced by better ones as time went on and as our experience grew. We have even written some of our own unique Plugins and features now.
We soon outgrew our Web Host, where we experienced serious CPU Throttling as well as other issues due to our busy nature and the traffic we started generating… and it was time to move on.
We moved to HostGator.com, to their smallest available Shared Server Hosting package, but what a hectic move that was! I remember our migration so well, because we were off air for 4 days! The migration process happened whilst we had not yet fully grasped the concepts of Domain Transfer and Renewal, Name Server Pointing and the time delays caused by Propagation of the website on the new Web Host Servers.
Before we knew it, our first and second birthdays had come and gone and some of the initial bloggers had moved on, replaced by a host of new friends.
The website kept growing at a steady pace and soon enough I realised we would have to go to an even bigger hosting package at HostGator… and since then we have upped that package twice more.
After a few years we had mastered the basics and had everything well-covered and had already applied and been accepted for Accreditation with some of the South African Rugby Unions.
Our entrenched policy of respect, no politics, no racism and no discussion about religion worked like a charm and the word soon spread that Rugby-Talk.com was The Friendly Rugby Website & Discussion Forum. Our growth started accellerating… it became an exponential curve!
In 2013 it was apparent that we were becoming a threat to existing competitors and in 2014 we overhauled the last rugby blogging competitor, when he abandoned his loyal followers. A lot of those loyalists were our friends from years before and it was only logical for us to embrace them and to welcome them here at Rugby-Talk.com, which we duly did.
Early 2014 also saw the need to code and design our own unique “Look and Feel” and webdesign and not to make use of 3Rd Party Themes anymore. Once again I jumped to accommodate… by now a seasoned web designer for clients and to the public, and an accomplished coder in the Scripts and Languages which are commonly used on the internet, namely HTML, PHP, CSS, JavaScript and I also was quite adept at managing SQL Databases. I am now also miles down the road and with huge experience on a number of Webdesign Software Platforms.
Rugby-Talk.com’s new Logo saw the light, we started acting as sponsors to some worthwhile rugby and other causes… Business Cards, Posters and Marketing Material was ordered and all the ducks were placed in a row to start with a Commercial arm for Rugby-Talk.com – to cover the expenses which up to now had been carried solely by myself.
A Marketing Team was assembled, appointed and instructed – consisting of 3 experienced Advertising Gurus with a combined 57 years experience in the Advertising Industry. Initial Rate Cards, Marketing Material and Business Proposals were prepared and just recently the first feelers were sent into the market for the first Adverts to be placed on Rugby-Talk.com.
More development had to follow to code the Advertising Backbone of the website, which has to make proper provision for full Statistical and Measuring Analysis to be applied and presented to Advertisers and initial trials had to be done, which have now been completed.
The start of this week finally saw the Marketing Team going out to the world out there, to market our product. It has to be reported that initial progress has been exceptionally good.
Today on our 5th birthday, Rugby-Talk.com’s Marketing Team managed to sell it’s first official R 15 000.00 worth of Advertising space and there is already another R 198 000.00 in the pipeline. It is baby steps from here forward but Rugby-Talk.com now has the potential to become a powerhouse in the Rugby Media world!
All of this would not have been possible without pure dedication, countless hours of hard work and without the invaluable input and contributions by so many people.
As a community we need to praise and thank our Authors here on Rugby-Talk, for the brilliant content and we need to recognize and appreciate every single contributor, subscriber and reader of Rugby-Talk.com who have made this website and this community what it is.
But what is Rugby-Talk.com to me and to you?
Hopefully the joint happy answer is that it is our Rugby Home and Haven, where we enjoy our rugby passion and where we take rugby news to the whole world!
Here’s an invitation to all out there, join up with us, register with us, talk rugby with us… and enrich your rugby experience!
One again a pleasure to let you know what’s potting here at Rugby-Talk Central!
Regards,
101 @ Pietman:
My sibling sister knows farkall about sport, and even less about rugby.
She must have been switched at birth, because the rest of us are brainy buggers and she is the doff one in the family!
Hehehe
Regarding the Geldenhuys family tree, the 1st Geldenhuys arrived in SA, barely 9 years after Jan van Riebeeck, from a little town called Steinbruckfurt in Wesfale. He left the Cape to go fetch a wife in Europe and then returned to South Africa.
By the time of the Groot Trek, there were 5 families:
1. One branch settled in the Western Transvaal and they became rich Horse farmers
2. One branch settled in the Memel area and became known as die “Wit Geldenhuyse” – very, very blonde lot – and also became affluent
3. One lot settled in the Johannesburg area, the “Goue Geldenhuyse”… that is where Louw Geldenhuys (the school), Emmerentia Dam, Emmerentia – the subburb and those things came from (named after Emmerentia Geldenhuys), the Geldenhuys Interchange and many things in Joburg was a result of what their empire built
4. The 4th Branch settled between Kroonstad and Viljoenskroon in the Free State and became very, very affluent cattle farmers, amongst other feats co-responsible for the Rooi Afrikaner cattle breed. Those are my direct ascendants, that is where my branch of the family ties in and where Burger Geldenhuys and Genl Jannnie Geldenhuys also ties in.
5. The 5th Branch dispersed all over South Africa, was known as Jan Hannetjie’s branch of the family, Hannetjie having been Jan’s wife. They became speedcops, policemen and the like. That part of the “family” had curly darker hair because Hannetjie had some mixed blood flowing through the veins.
Strangely enough a lot of good Geldenhuys rugby players emerged from all the different main family groups, but more so from the Free State branch, GBS Maksimus himself played hooker for Free State and also for Northern Freestate, JP (Jan) Geldenhuys played No 8 for Maties and the WP senior side in the late ’70’s, Burger Geldenhuys you all know about.
Adri Geldenhuys who played for EP and the Springboks at lock was of Jan Hannetjie’s lot, I think.
This Geldenhuys girl who now plays for the Springbok Women’s side, I truly do not know!
106 @ cane:
We’ve had some “Figh Club” threads here too… but the difference is that it was’nt ordinary threads which deteriorated into chaos.
It was a fun element which we brought in, where the rules was that EVERY comment you made had to be insulting in some way and where the proviso was that nobody was allowed to get truly THE MOER IN (angry).
Strange thing was, some people do not have a singel fighting bone in their bodies and just could not manage to insult – just not in their nature.
It was great fun though, and we could make time to do so again!!
Some of the Voldy threads were truly aweful though and does not represent and should never represent what South Africa and rugby stands for in life. I don’t miss them a bit, not in the slightest. It perpetuates the divisions rather than serve as examples to what is possible and what should be the norm.
110 @ bdb:
AB is nog besig, hy het nou ‘n aandeel in ‘n restaurant in Pretoria iewers…
geluk geluk geluk geluk geluk, ek kan nog goed onthou toe ek die eerste keer by rugby talk uitgekom het, ek het nagdiens werk en kom toe op die site uit na dat ek presies 10 posts op keo gemaak het…..
@ smallies:
toe het ek nog BAIE bier gedrink en baie rugby mis gekyk, nou drink ek bogerol bier en kyk flokken baie rugby raak
112 @ ufo:
Never intended to bash Voldy… it was just material that we wanted to deviate from the lack of proper control which was prevalent there, to create a more acceptable community here, something we certainly succeeded in.
Seems you and me see a lot of things very much in the same vein, except I may be a bit more unforgiving against those who I feel have wronged me and those close to me.
That belongs in the past though.
124 @ smallies:
Dankie vir die gelukwense, Smallies!
Hey GBS.. …. You are running a very cool site….Congratulations on the 5 years and may there be lots more.
We had our differences on Keo but u guys accepted me here so thanks for that..
BB invited me here btw… not sure if she had the necessary delegation but nevertheless I am glad I listened to her , the site is very enjoyable 🙂
@ smallies:
@ grootblousmile:
En Natuurlik geniet ons die Live game threads
Die dag toe ek join was dit amper net ek GBS, Pietman en Smallies, wat die bulle so hard kak gehap het ek dog hy is n wp supporter
@ MacroBok:
He he, the Bulls did cop a lot of flack, not unlike us Brokies from the Platberg.
But, here we still are, enjoying being the also rans because that means it’s the time for one of the other sides to be the butt of the joke.
128 @ robzim:
Sure we had our differences way back when… but then we moved on.
On a personal basis Rugby-Talk.com made me a better person.
After the abandonment of Voldy (Keo) by the poinsoned dwarf, it was the right thing for us here at Rugby-Talk.com to reach out to you lot.
We share a love for rugby, for goodness sakes, and it would have been total folly to exclude you lot, who also love rugby.
You are welcome here!
@ MacroBok:
ek het n baie streng filosofie 1 ek skree vir of op die cheetahs 2 ek skree vir griekwas want die kimberley area is eintlik deel van die vrystaat, die ingelse het dit net gesteel vir die diamante, 3dan skree ek vir die bulle leeus luiperds en pumas want hulle was deel van die oorspronklike boere repebliek 4 dan die wp en boland want ou jan het darrem daar geland, daarna natal en die op
129 @ MacroBok:
There is not another rugby site on the planet which even closely rivals Rugby-Talk.com when it comes to our Live Game Articles!
@ smallies:
ha ha toema smallie ek vergewe jou, al wat ek kan onthou was dat in daai einste game die bulle erg swak was… en dit was nog deel van die “goeie dae” gewees.
Ek hou maar by een span, as ek so sleg voel as my span verloor wil ek nie dit nog 4 keer op dieselfde naweek voel nie, veral nie in Super Rugby nie.
@ grootblousmile:
Truly unique!
@ MacroBok:
weet jy hoe kack is dit as die vrystaat teen griekwas speel
Solank as WP nou net die Blou Bulle die naweek lekker opvok kan ons almal hier pelle wees.
@ robzim:
haha ons bul outjies gaan maar solank die springbok thread opwarm terwyl julle daai game geniet.
Enigiets behalwe n “opvok” sal n mental victory vir ons wees.
Then again, groom and schreuder are going to kick so much ball away, all we need is for visser to have one of those “good” 50/50 games and there might be some damage control.
MacroBok wrote:
Ek is nie so seker nie. Die bulle gaan hierdie naweek met mening terug wees does not matter whether they have a good team on paper or not.
As die WP gaan wen gaan dit close wees.
MacroBok wrote:
Schreuder is die nuwe Peter Grant…. only AC rates him.
132 @ smallies:
My bloed is blou, Bulls blou… maar my voorsate kom van die Vrystaat af, beide van Pa en Ma se kant af (Ma se lot van die Oos Vrystaat, Clocolan) so ek het ‘n groot sagteplekkie vir die Vrystaat.
Ek respekteer die WP, vanwee die jarelange tweestryd tussen die Bloubulle en die WP en ek sien steeds daai streeptruie as ons grootste opponente.
In 1974 en 1975 as jong seun het ek my gly gevang in Transvaal of the Goue Leeus soos hulle nou bekendstaan, toe ek op Ellispark gesien het hoe mense mekaar gooi met bierbottels en die inslag wat myn-ondersteuners op die Leeus gehad het. Hempas Rademeyer het daai tyd vir Transvaal gespeel op senter, so skuins donkie met ‘n afdraende gesig soos ‘n hartseer weeluis, so ek is nie juis aangetrokke tot die Rooibontes nie.
Natal se rugby het gegroei en in 1990 het hulle seker amptelik tot die groot tyd deurgedring, en daar is seker baie om krediet te gee oor hoe hulle die besigheidselemente en Brand van Natal en die Haaie uitgebrei het, maar dis nie my gunsteling span nie en sal nooit wees nie. Hierdie jaar was vir my bevestiging hoekom ek nie van hulle hou nie. Die arroganie het geen keer nie.
Ek het nie ‘n aangetrokkendheid tot OP rugby nie, die Watson-elemente daar maak my gemaklik anti-watookal oor hulle. Ek verstaan en waardeer dat die Oos Kaap ‘n groot voedingsbron en deuroopmaker is vir die uitbeiding van Rugby in SA na meer gemeenskappe en groepperings en ek is ten volle ten gunste daarvoor, mits dit nie bots met die beginsels van gelykheid en gelyke behandeling nie en mits geen maatstawwe ingebring word wat omgekeerde diskriminasie in ‘n nuwe Suid-Afrika goedpraat of toelaat nie.
@ robzim:
Well die EP game laasweek het gewys WP mis nogsteeds daai killer instinct. Dalk kan die BB weer doen wat hulle laasjaar gedoen het en Nuweland toe gaan met geen hoop nie, dit is dalk beter as daar minder verwagting is… WP gaan baie kak moet speel vir die bulle om n kans te staan, verlangs sal ons maar weer hoop Kolbe het weer n nagmerrie game, maar dit sal nie gebeur nie.
Niks uit Loftus gee enige iemand buite Loftus self vertroue nie.
@ robzim:
141
In fairness, Jake White and P.Divvy gave Peter Grant a Springbok caps.
a few*
grootblousmile wrote:
My Pa kom ook van die Kaap af, so ek moet erken, my tweede span is…
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Fiji
146 @ MacroBok:
Hahaha
Al wat ek kan goedpraat van Natal is die maklike Ingelse meisies wat ek daar gedruk het toe ek jonk en jeukkerig was (Durban Balito en Sodwana), donner ek het ampertjies die “Slet-woord” gebruik… hie hie hie!
@ MacroBok:
Re Kolbe… its 60/40 for me at the moment….60% him being our own Jason Robinson and 40% he being only a 7’s star. Time will tell.
I think Grant became a bok when the real boks were rested… if not, the selectors made a huge mistake…. nice bloke but sadly not good enough imo.
126 @ grootblousmile:
cool GBS…
no probs with bashing the site itself… it’s just a thing… and keo is big enough… (just… hehehe…) to take… and deal with… the criticism he gets…
I just don’t enjoy going at the people… especially when they can’t… or won’t… or are just not here to… defend themselves or offer their perspectives… only fair, no…?
but, as you say… that’s all in the past… and forwards is the best direction to move in…
and you’re quite right… you have succeeded in creating a friendly and accepting site here… for which… I believe… everyone is pretty pleased and appreciative…
long may it continue…!
@ robzim:
There is so much expectations in Kolbe, and when he tackles someone everyone stands up and applauds because “he did well for his size”… He did well for the baby boks last year, so he has talent, and I think he is quite exciting, but should not be played because he punches above his weight, he should be “knocking” people off their feet.
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