Old Voortrekker pastime ready for a youthful resurgence
Contact sport postponement a perfect opportunity to test skills in a different pit
No matter the era, able bodies have and will always have a desire to compete.
With government restricting contact sports, individual tests of precision and athleticism could dominate the foreseeable future. One such activity is the traditional duel of jukskei. First played by the Voortrekkers who used pieces of their wagon to fashion playing equipment, it has developed into an niche community that has spread as far as the United States of America.
The sport still has a strong footprint among the schools on the West Rand, and administrators are currently finalising their preparations for the upcoming schools league. Given the postponement of contact sports at schools, this individual sport is now primed to give school athletes a much-needed outlet. Apart from schools, the West Rand is home to two jukskei clubs – Kosmos Club in Randfontein and Krugersdorp’s Monument Club.
While casually played over 100 years earlier using the wooden pins and yokes known as skeis and juks, the first official game was played on 4 November 1939. In the picturesque Cape winelands, Keerweder wine farm hosted industry rivals from the KWV farm to begin the sport’s gradual evolution. It is now played in all provinces, with the first inter-provincial match-up pitting the Eastern Cape against the Free State on 3 March 1940.
“The fun part is that jukskei is a sport for everybody, no matter your build or age. Players range from five years old to those in their 80s. It is also one of the very few sports that can be enjoyed by the entire family. The cost to participate is also very low as one only needs one pair of skeets and a pair of stakes. The sport teaches discipline, concentration, tactical thinking and math,” said Jakes de Jager, West Rand Jukskei junior representative.
Often the sports that look the simplest come with hidden technical challenges that require precise planning and perfect execution. Indiscriminate of age, gender or any physical traits, jukskei is a team sport that requires each individual to band together to pull the team to victory.
