Bethal Rugby Club in a bad state
“This affects us. It is especially bad for our old players who have always used these facilities to see the state it is in now.”
BETHAL – Cheers and chants from the grandstand, music being played in the background while the aroma of meat being braaied fills the air, the sounds of children running around and playing alongside the field and a community gathering in support of their local rugby team are what one would remember, experience or imagine what the atmosphere should be at the local rugby club.
However, the sad reality is very far from that. If anything one is brought back to earth and hit with a sudden sadness that was once a pride of Bethal town.
The local rugby club has been completely plundered and there is nothing left but a shell of what once was a running and well functioning facility.
Mr Chris Lombard, vice president of Bethal Rugby Club, said the actual responsibility of the upkeep of the local rugby club is that of Govan Mbeki Municipality (GMM).
However, over the past several years – due to the lack of upkeep from GMM – club members, sponsors, the community and businesses have been contributing in all ways possible to keep the club facilities running.
“We have been running the rugby club on our own for about five years, however, we have always had challenges with cable theft, replacing of alarms and vandalism.
“We have all put in a lot of money to keep this facility going. The farming community have also helped us a lot when it comes to the cutting of the grass.”
Mr Lombard said the club, with help from their sponsors, was in the process of putting up palisades and installing electric fencing to secure the premises. These plans were placed on halt when Covid-19 hit.
The last time the rugby fields had been played on was last year and since then all games and practice sessions had to be stopped until now. The team is due to be back on the field by month-end.
In the meantime, vagrants, vandals and drug addicts have made themselves at home in the clubhouse and destroyed absolutely everything.
“We received a call from the golf club saying the clubhouse was on fire. When we went to inspect, there was a vagrant inside the clubhouse who used the sleeper wood from our bar counters to make a fire.”
He said members of the club opened a case, but the charges were later dropped because the culprit was mentally challenged.
“We can’t waste our sponsors’ money on repairing a facility that keeps on being vandalised,” said Mr Lombard.
Everything from replacing floodlights, power cables, DB boards, circuit breakers, the alarm system to painting the walls, were all done by the club’s players with help from their sponsors, community and businesses.
“We as a club have to begin all over again.
“Looking back at the club five years ago to now is like comparing day and night. It is sad.
“This affects us. It is especially bad for our old players who have always used these facilities, to see the state it is in now.”
When visiting the rugby field, one is taken aback by the dilapidated state and you are filled with disgust that the local municipality has once again failed.
All that remains on the field is waist-high grass and one full standing rugby post. The other post only has one pole remaining.
The grandstand seats have all been removed at the lower level.
Inside the clubhouse, all that can be salvaged is a piece of sleeper wood on which the club’s name is engraved.
“The only thing that can be done now is to demolish the building. It is not safe and absolutely nothing remains. We will have to start from scratch.” said Mr Lombard.
In the meantime, the club had to make alternate arrangements for their players when it comes to changing into gear.
“We have come to an agreement with our local golf club to use their facilities,” ended Mr Lombard
Lack of maintenance to several municipal amenities remains a challenge.
The Ridge Times spoke to Mr Donald Green, acting head of communications for GMM, regarding the poor state of the Bethal Rugby Club.
“The municipal leadership held a service delivery programme in Bethal and eMzinoni last week Monday, 15 March, and visited some of these amenities with a view of assessing their state and to make a proposal for funding for upgrading and renovating some of them.
“Another visit was done in eMbalenhle and Leandra with the same purpose,” concluded Mr Green.
