Dolphins rugby ups the ante

Ballito’s home-grown rugby club, the Ballito Dolphins, have kick-started their 2016 season with victory on the brain as new talent fills their ranks.

Looking to turn the Dolphins into a widely followed and admired local rugby club, junior rugby chairman, Mark Svenningsen and the club’s director of rugby, Craig Dawson said they are excited about the strength of the Dolphins squad moving into this year’s tough season.

“We have some massive games lined up this year and we believe we have the players to win them and finish as one of the strongest teams in our league,” said Svenningsen.

“If the senior team rack up a series of consistent wins, it will give junior players the drive to keep playing rugby, and to play it at the highest possible standard,” he added.

The local rugby club, which has a fast improving 1st XV squad, a well established colts line-up and an ever-growing juniors section, lacks the basic infrastructure needed for a rugby club.

The home of the Dolphins, as it currently stands, is at Sugar Rush Adventure Park on Esenembe Road, where they have a single field equipped with rudimentary wooden poles fashioned into goal posts. Lacking a clubhouse with changing rooms and showers, toilets and a bar, the club is forced to make do with the little resources they have.

“We do not even have floodlights, so every Thursday night when the guys come down for training, they line their cars up facing the field so that when it gets dark, they can turn on their headlights and carry on playing,” said Dawson, who added that the lack of infrastructure has created a great spirit in the squad, with all players happy to chip in and make do.

Part of their plans to put the Ballito Dolphins on the map, 1st XV head coach, James Muter, said the club has signed a string of new players who have filled their ranks with some fresh talent and a renewed sense of purpose.

“We are very lucky with the strength and depth of our squad, as we have a number of players with not only school and university playing experience, but also a few guys who have academy and semi-professional caps on their rugby Cvs,” said Muter.

One such player is second row Moses Mpande, who has a rugby portfolio most aspiring young players would be proud of. Mpande has played for the Cheetahs academy at U16, U17, U19 and U21 level, as well as playing for the Cheetahs sevens and Vodacome Cup squads. The giant forward was also selected for the first division Currie Cup Griquas squad and has even played in France before joining the Dolphins a couple of years ago.

“The Dolphins team is truly made up of a lot of talent – we are not a team made up entirely of surfers and farmers and we are serious about the game of rugby. We would love for the Ballito community to come and watch us play, so that we can show how far we have come as a team,” said Mpande.

The 1st XV’s next big clash is against the Berea Rovers, who they will face at home on April 2.

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