Rugby club to restore Cronje Park to former glory
Thunderstrikers recently signed a one-year contract with the Tshwane metro to train and play on the field.
Cronje Park in Pretoria West will be upgraded following a new partnership between a local rugby club and the metro.
Amid recent complaints about the park’s deteriorating state, the Thunderstrikers rugby club wants to assure residents that the park will be restored to an acceptable standard.
In an on-site visit with Rekord, the chair of Thunderstrikers, Johan Lourens said the community can expect noticeable upgrades by the end of March.
“We hauled about five bakkie loads of rubbish the other day. We started cutting the lawn, refurbishing the ablution facilities, and we have plans to erect fencing around the park, reinstall the electric and water facilities and hire 24-hour security to guard the park,” said Lourens.
Thunderstrikers recently signed a one-year contract with the Tshwane metro allowing the rugby club to train and play matches on the field. Since the agreement, noticeable upgrades to the park have been gradually made, though Lourens calls on the community to play its part as well.
“Thunderstrikers have been primarily responsible for the upgrades, but it’s obviously too big a task for a one-man job, so we want to ask the community to extend its hand and help out maintain the park for everyone to enjoy,” Lourens continued.
Accompanying Lourens was Hercules CPF secretary Johan Cloete, who said the community must also take the fate of their park into their own hands.
“Most of our parks around here are in a bad state, the municipality has no money, so it’s up to us to restore the pride back for people from Hercules. The community must take hands and start cleaning up, to take back Hercules to the state of how it was in previous years,” Cloete asserted.
Lourens said that the park currently will be used for rugby purposes, however, other sports such as soccer and cricket will be gradually phased in, but other teams must be authorised by the metro to use the facility.
“We are not chasing anyone away, we want everyone to enjoy the park but they are certain procedures and rules that must be followed.”
The club has begun practising on the field every Monday and Wednesday and is looking forward to playing matches against other teams very soon.
Interested potential players – professional or amateur – or partners for the park can feel free to contact Johan Lourens on 064 654 7092.
“We want the community to know we are going to do our utmost to upgrade this park to an acceptable state for the community and to maintain it at least for a year,” Lourens concluded.
.Read more: Cronje Park in disarray
Do you have more information about the story?
Please send us an email to editorial@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram
