Rugby player celebrates 14 years with Toti club
Emile has followed in his older brother Ivan's footsteps, who played 12 years uninterrupted for Toti.
A local rugby player has completed 14 seasons of playing for Toti Rugby Club.
Emile Beetge (18) a grade 12 pupil at Glenwood High School, started running out for the club in 2000 at the age of four and has continued for 14 years without any break in play.
“I can’t remember much (when I started), but my mother said I came home from creche one day and said I’m going to play rugby,” he said. “When she asked me ‘what do you know about rugby and where are you planning on doing this’, I replied at the rugby club of course.
At the time we didn’t even know where the club was, but a classmate was getting involved, so I was one of six boys at practise that night. My dad took one look at the beer prices and voila, the club became my second home.”
Emile’s father is ward 97 councillor, Andre Beetge, who has been actively involved in rugby since the family moved to Toti from Springs in 2000.
He has been a coach, vice-chairman and is currently the chairman of the Durban Rugby Sub Union (DRSU) Youth Club Association. He is chairman of the South African Youth Club Association since 2011, provincial convener for youth club rugby, and a member of the DRSU council since 2009. He was also vice-chairman and chairman of the Toti senior rugby club in 2011 and 2012.
Emile has followed in his older brother Ivan’s footsteps, who played 12 years uninterrupted for Toti. Ivan has played for Varsity College’s U20 side for two years and he is part of the provincial coaching squad.
“I’m fortunate to be able to adapt to any backline position, but my preferred positions are scrumhalf and flyhalf,” said Emile.
“Local is lekker – I’ve always been proud to call myself a Toti boy and it’s about the close knit friendships that I have developed through my participation, relationship with coaches and the support from my parents that have made my 14 years at Toti most memorable.”
Next year Emile plans to study LLB law at Varsity College “and play more rugby of course”.
“This year I decided to focus more on academics and, as such, played and captained the matric social side (fifths), as after all rugby is also about having fun.”
He has captained his school team from U14 up to his matric year.
In 2012 he was selected for the DRSU representative team that won an inter-provincial tournament hosted by Valke in Kempton Park.
He made the representative U18 squad in 2013 and, although the team didn’t win the competition, he played in the Valke’s Barnard Stadium, Ellis Park and Kings Park as curtainraisers to Currie Cup games.
“I guess I will play rugby until I can’t anymore, but I have also taken a keen interest in refereeing and coaching, as I believe one must always give back.”
Emile blew the U13 B final at Hutchison Park at the weekend and the chances are good there is still more to come from this talented young Toti sportsman.
