News

Please, save our rugby club!

Water flows through changing rooms a second time.

June 22, 2026
Tobie van den Bergh 1 minute read
The former Belfast rugby club headquarters.
Do we want this to happen to the Middelburg Rugby Club? The Belfast Rugby Club building after it was left to be destroyed. PHOTO: Tobie van den Bergh

Please, save our proud rugby club!

If the Steve Tshwete Local Municipality does not intervene urgently, the decline of Kees Taljaard Stadium will be irreversible.

The number one accused in this destruction is our very own municipality.

A burst pipe from a geyser flooded the changing rooms on Tuesday; the pipe was later repaired.

When members of the club arrived on Friday, the changing rooms were flooded… again.

This time, a tap was left open.

@middelburgobserver

Dressing rooms at Middelburg’s Kees Taljaard Stadium have been flooded for the second time in a week. The stadium has been in a state of deterioration for far too long. The municipality has acknowledged that major renovations are needed, but there is no money available for the work. As a result, little maintenance is being done beyond cutting the grass.#Middelburg #Mpumalanga

♬ original sound – MiddelburgObserver – MiddelburgObserver

Albert Hanekom of the rugby club tried in vain to turn the tap off.

Not only was water wasted on a large scale, but the facilities were flooded.

Middelburg qualified for the semi-finals of the league on Saturday.

Don’t these men who work so hard deserve support?

Please, we cannot allow Kees Taljaard Park to be destroyed like this.

At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
June 22, 2026
Tobie van den Bergh 1 minute read

Support local journalism

Add The Citizen as a preferred source to see more from Middelburg Observer in Google News and Top Stories.

Add as a preferred source on Google
Follow on Google News

Tobie van den Bergh

Tobie started as a journalist in September 1975. He was appointed editor of the Middelburg Observer in 1982 where he worked until he retired in 2024. He received numerous awards, is a founding member of the Forum for Community Newspapers and has published two books about his work. Although retired, Tobie is still very much involved in community journalism.
Back to top button