Johannesburg’s young rugby talent puts skills to the test at Bryanston Honey Badgers

Bryanston Honey Badgers welcomed young rugby players from clubs across Johannesburg to its home ground on August 15, hosting affiliates of Golden Lions Youth Rugby for the second time this year.

The hosting day held at Bryanston High School brought together both small and large clubs, including Alberton, Diggers, Pirates, Roodepoort, Randfontein and Warriors, with players ranging from six to 18 years old battling it out across the various age groups.

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According to Honey Badgers chairman Anthony Losco, events such as hosting days are at the heart of what club rugby is all about.

He said Golden Lions Youth Rugby is made up of clubs from across Gauteng, including the north, south, east and west.

“The clubs provide safe environments to promote personal growth and success for all young aspiring players,” Losco said.

He added that it is never too late to join club rugby, whether you are a beginner or very experienced.

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“Whether you are as young as six or as old as 18, a Golden Lions Youth Rugby Club will help you develop all the skills you need to play rugby. And yes, there are female rugby programmes available, which are growing rapidly.”

Losco added that hosting days are held at different venues between July and September each year, giving clubs and players the chance to experience different grounds while strengthening relationships throughout the union.

Following the success of the August 15 event, Honey Badgers is already looking forward to its next hosting in the new year.

“Badgers is almost 10 years old and has had many successes over its short lifespan. We have a diversified and stable, experienced coaching and management base; we have superb support of players and parents.

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“Our well-maintained grounds at Bryanston High School provide for all our needs. We are planning to expand back into girls’ rugby with the support of the specialist clubs under our union’s umbrella.”

Losco said their teams have had a good season so far, showing that they are competitive at all levels, and have entered full teams for the U13 and U14 groups in recently finalised Golden Lions IPT trials, at which Honey Badgers had the best results in history.

“We wish our players the best of luck in the final selection rounds and, for those who are selected for the final team, everything of the best.

“Our players haven’t just succeeded in the booted divisions, but also in the barefoot division, where most of our U12 players were selected for the Central Gauteng team.

We wish them the best of luck and know that next year we will have a very strong, skilled and competent U13 squad,” he concluded.

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