Remembering history through football

There’s going to be a battle at Rorke’s Drift but this time it’s going to be settled on the football field.
To commemorate the Battle of Rorke’s Drift the Zulus and Brits will do battle on the pitch as history comes alive once again.
The football match, scheduled for January 22, will be the first time that the event has been commemorated with a football game. However, the idea of playing football isn’t a new one. In Flanders, 1914, the Germans and British troops settled their differences on the football field.
However, a need for a commemorative event on the anniversary of the Battle for Rorke’s Drift which happened on 22 January 1879 was needed and football provided the best answer.
The Battle of Rorke’s Drift was a sequel from the Battle of Isandlwana on the same day. At Isandlwana the Zulu Army bravely attacked with heavy loss, but overran the British Camp and killed the defenders. A small part of the Zulu force came to Rorke’s Drift and attempted the same thing but were kept at bay by just 100 British troops. The total engagement for the day involved 25 000 warriors from both sides and some 5 000 perished.
At Isandlwana there is a regular commemoration which has become a political rally celebrating the Zulu victory. Now at Rorke’s Drift, at a new soccer stadium, the second battle will be remembered. The Zulu team is already training hard and the British side have secured the services of a group of players from Dundee, the local rural community and some British workers on contract in Johannesburg. A new strip has been purchased and players will have jerseys carrying the names of many who distinguished themselves in the battle 136 years ago. The attempt is to remember history, since it cannot be change. The game will kick-off at 4pm on January 22 at the Rorke’s Drift Stadium. Refreshments will be served at the museum after the game.