Rural rugby gets a boost through Tony Marageni’s #RugbyInTheRurals
#RugbyInTheRurals is aimed at making rugby accessible to everyone, not just those who live in major towns
LIMPOPO – Tony Marageni, 26, says he has always been a rugby lover… From playing in his primary years at Laerskool Louis Trichardt and making first team at Hoerskool Louis Trichardt and eventually obtaining a BCom degree in Sports and recreation management and completing his honors in sports management studies at the University of Johannesburg, he has a deep rooted love for the sport.
Tony says after qualifying he struggled getting a job in sports and eventually opted to get a day job that would provide for his needs, but failed miserably in staying in it. He explains that he has never been one to do things he is not passionate about. “We have been programmed to go to school and get any job that we can find just to have money. I found that the process of going to work daily to do something I’m not passionate about, got me depressed”.
It was at this point that he decided to quit his 9-5 job and relocate back to Madombidzha, Louis Trichardt to start his own work in sports development.
#RugbyInTheRurals is aimed at making rugby accessible to everyone, not just those who live in major towns. “With the transformation targets in place, we need more black players to play the sport but without rugby played in the areas where most black people reside, we will never reach those targets”. Tony says the aim is not only to teach rugby but to create a self sustainable club that competes against schools and clubs from other areas.
“Once we are able to register the boys into leagues where they can compete, we are able to get them off the streets and onto the field. The community will also benefit as a few jobs will be created and street vendors will gain a market as they will be able to sell their products during the matches”. Tony says the goal for this year is just to motivate as many children as possible to join and learn the sport. “From next year onward, I want to introduce rugby as an extra-curricular activity in all the schools in the Madombidzha area and ultimately have the schools and club participating in all the competitive leagues in the country”.
Tony says the main challenge at the moment is the lack of proper facilities.
We also do a few fitness drills! #RugbyInTheRurals pic.twitter.com/cwvReHW1bo
— Tony Marageni (@Schillo_15) June 27, 2019
“We practice on a dusty pitch and that limits the things we can teach the learners, but would also like to thank everyone who has been helping the club with donations.
They go a very long way”. If you want to see more of the Madombidzha Rugby Club you can find them on Instagram and Facebook @Madombidzha_Rugby_Club.
