A dream come true for young rugby player

MBOMBELA – Many rugby players only dream of scoring a hat-trick in a final at Mbombela Stadium.However, nine-year-old Senzo Ndlovu of Tsandzanani Primary proved it can be done in the local Tag Rugby final during the half-time interval of the Springboks and Wales clash this past Saturday.
Tsandzanani beat Letsakuthula Primary 4-0 at a packed stadium with the official mascot, Senzo scoring three wonderful tries. This rounded off an epic day, which started with him accompanying Springbok prop Jannie du Plessis onto the field.

The journey began when 10 local schools were invited to take part in a Tag Rugby clinic on June 19 at Hoërskool Nelspruit. They were selected in consultation with the Steval Pumas Rugby Union.

According to Stuart McConell, head of the group, the objective of this clinic was to raise awareness of the sport in communities and to showcase it as a fun pastime.
“It improves their skills. We give every participating school some equipment, such as balls, belts and tag straps. The beauty of tag rugby is that you can play anywhere, even on cement or gravel,” said McConell.
“Sometimes the girls outplay the boys with their ball skills and decision making. They get two points for a try, so it pays to pass the ball to the girls so that they can join in the fun.”
It differs from normal rugby in that it accommodates players of all shapes and sizes. There are seven a side, with the main goal being to score tries and to rip a tag from the opposition players’ belt in defence. A team must also pass the ball three times before a try can be scored.
They exchange possession of the ball once they get tagged three times when they are under attack.
“This gives them the incentive to play as a team. The best strategy is to consistently pass the ball and run into the open spaces to avoid defenders. It is no use to try and bulldoze your opponent,” he mentioned.
According to McConell the physical nature of rugby at an early age is detrimental to players when they reach university and club level.
“They get repeated knocks which could have been avoided if they knew how to limit extensive contact at an early age. We also improve their tackling techniques as you have to aim for the midriff to perform a tag – this eliminates any high tackles.”
“You will take the skills you learn with you for the rest of your life,” said Jonathan Snyders, head of Tag Rugby in Mbombela.
Tsandzanani and Letsakuthula Primary schools wore sky blue and stone jerseys but exchanged them for green and gold when they took to the field at Mbombela Stadium.
The latter’s head coach, Sizwe Ngobane, expressed his support for this sport in keeping his learners fit and out of trouble.
“This is an excellent platform to expose them to rugby and they are falling in love with it. It also keeps them away from the streets and gives them a chance to relax,” he said.
Primary schools that participated in the clinic were Enzani, Letsakuthula, Takheleni, Sibongile, Sukumani, Sehlulile, Benjamin, Funindlela, Phumalanga and Tsandzanani.