Olifante honour the best players of 2016
The Malelane Rugby Club honoured players who did them proud throughout the year during their annual prize-giving at the clubhouse last Saturday night.
Players, their families and management of the Malelane Rugby Club gathered at the clubhouse for their year-end function last Saturday evening.
Club president Pieter van Zyl congratulated everyone on a successful year and thanked the committee, players, their families and sponsors for their hard work and support.
The club will celebrate their 50th birthday next year and have big plans on how to make this milestone and a year to remember. A weekend in February and another one in May will be set aside for special celebrations and activities.
The club ended fourth in the league and is looking forward to next year when they will try to improve on this achievement.
AG Visser from the Mpumalanga Rugby Union wished players and management success for next year. He stated that he could see the necessary pride, energy and passion of the club in each member.
He was present during the 25th birthday celebrations and attended a talk by Schalk Burger Sr. He asked the guests whether they were aware that the clubhouse was named after Pieter Erasmus and showed the group the ceremonial shield denoting this.
He donated a cloth club badge from the 70s as well as a tie from the same decade, with the club’s elephant emblem, hand-embroidered, which he had received from Erasmus to keep in their display case. “Build on your pride. You’ve got the opportunity to make next year an amazing one,” he told players.
Four of them, Ideon van der Merwe, Arno Hoffman, Martin Mhlongo and Hernus van der Nist, were also handed certificates of achievement for their inclusion in the Pumas Lowveld Amateur team.
They were chosen from all the players in the Lowveld clubs and gave them great experiences as they played against big names in rugby circles.
Coach Martin Botha encouraged them to exhibit good behaviour both on and off the field and to work hard to make a success of 2017.
The following awards were handed out:
• Most loyal player: Surprise Zulu
• Most improved player: Jack Lemstra
• Most versatile player and best senior backline player: Rudi Botha
• Tackle of the year: Mandla Shongwe
• Most tries: Mafundo Mabunda
• Coach’s recognition award: Moses Ngwenya and Gongani Mathebula
• Best junior backline player: Ideon van der Merwe
• Best junior forward: Hernus van der Nist
• Best senior forward: Charles Baggot
• Player of the year: Arno Hoffman
• Droogmakers van die jaar: Riaan van der Merwe and Hernus van der Nist.
Bongani Mathebula was given a special merit award for playing 150 games for the club.
