Rugby honour for emerging Southern KZN academy hooker

Luli Venyeka is making a name for himself in rugby circles on the South Coast.

The 20-year-old prop from East London is a product of the Southern KZN rugby academy and is a good example of what it stands for, that is to give young people the opportunity to chase their dreams.

He has been selected to represent the Southern KZN rugby sub-union in the Ebbo Bastard competition this year.

It’s a special achievement, especially being selected at hooker for a senior team at a young age.

Luli grew up in a township called Kabega near East London.

When he was in Grade 5, he saw some of his friends playing rugby and decided to give it a try.

Up until that point, soccer had been his focus.

In Grade 7, he was selected to play for the first team in a tournament in the Western Cape, and he was hooked.

His mother sent him to Grey High in Port Elizabeth the following year.

In his matric year, he was initially selected for the 4th team, but by the end of the season had risen rapidly through the ranks and played for the 1sts.

The highlight of his season was the game against Pretoria Boys High, where he was given the opportunity to be one of the leaders in the team on the day.

He joined the Southern KZN academy when he realised it was an institution that would allow him to develop as a player – and not necessarily only for ‘star’ players.

He did a lot of research and saw that he could study and complete a well-structured life skills programme. That convinced him to join.

It hasn’t been easy. He’s had to work hard and become far more self-disciplined in order to achieve the goals he has set for himself.

But it has been rewarding seeing the improvement, especially with the conditioning programme.

He said the environment was new to him but he adjusted and enjoyed it, appreciating the proper structures provided which ensured that there was no unnecessary pressure the players had to deal with.

His call up to the Skzn side came as something of a surprise. He did not expect it but was ready to give it his best shot.

Luli is an example of a township boy who has shown that if you work hard, believe in yourself and surround yourself with the right people you can make it.

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