Cambridge Academy’s rugby stars, have been unveiled for the renowned Pumas Rugby Club U16 team members

Hardu Olivier, and Olwethu Magangane were chosen from a pool of players, the boys displayed top-tier determination resilience, and persistence on the field and flew eMalahleni’s flag high up.

After their outstanding performance, WITBANK NEWS reached out to the boys for an exclusive interview alongside their proud parents.

First up is Cambridge Academy’s 2023 best junior sportsman and best junior rugby player Hardu Olivier (12) whose unwavering love for rugby stemmed from a young age when he used to watch the sport with his father.

The sixth grader was chosen for the Nkangala U11 rugby team when he was still playing for the U10 team in 2022.

Alice-Ann and her husband, Elmo Olivier, shared they realised that their son loved sports when they saw him searching for old rugby games on the internet, watching and analysing them over and over again, “This gave him such good exposure and prepared him for the following year when he could finally participate under his age. He was chosen for the U11 Nkangala rugby team in 2023, where games were played against the other Mpumalanga regional teams,” Alice-Ann said.

She said thereafter, he was chosen to be part of the so-called ‘pink squad’, where Hardu’s exposure and practice sessions followed.

“After the Mpumalanga trials, one of his biggest dreams, to be part of the Puma rugby team, came true.He is not only an enthusiastic rugby player but also loves cricket, hockey, and athletics. This year so far he was chosen for the Mpumalanga athletics team, where he represented his province at the South African Schools athletics nationals during the March holidays,” Alice-Ann said.

Hardu also participated in the discus and shot put.

He was also chosen to be part of the Mpumalanga hockey team and will represent Mpumalanga at the interprovincial tournament in June.

Hardu was chosen for the Mpumalanga U12 interprovincial tournament Golden Eagles action cricket team, who will be participating in the tournament during the June/July holidays.

“Apart from sports, Hardu also plays the piano and does his best at school. For the past two years, he has been one of the top five academic achievers in his grade. He loves to play on his PlayStation, watch YouTube sports, and play with his dogs,” Alice-Ann and Elmo shared.

His parents reckoned that they encourage Hardu to not do what he is good at, but do what he enjoys, “What I believe plays a big part in his success, is not primarily his talent but his determination, passion for sports, and humbleness,” the parents ended.

The second athlete is Cambridge Academy’s deputy headboy, 2022 junior sportsman award winner, 2023 best U11 rugby player, senior sportsman award, and best U12 rugby player.

Olwethu Magangane (12) started playing sports whilst his family resided in Middelburg in 2017, and he was in grade R at Middelburg Primary School. According to his mother, Angel Mthombeni, at the time Olwethu was in grade R and used to play Pumakie rugby, they always won all their matches.

“That is when we saw Olwethu’s passion for rugby, because of his dedication and hard work, when he was on the field. In 2020, Olwethu changed schools and went to Cambridge Academy. Since Olwethu is passionate about sports, he participated in almost all the sports at school and played all of them with his heart, by giving 100% commitment,” Angel shared.

She said that Cambridge Academy gave Olwethu the exposure he needed in his sports career, as the coaches and teachers saw the potential in Olwethu, and gave him full support because they believed in him.

“The school allowed Olwethu the opportunity to go for rugby trials, and that is when Olwethu’s passion for rugby grew even more. In 2022, Olwethu went for Nkangala rugby trials and made the team. In 2023, he went for Nkangala and Mpumalanga trials but was only selected for the Nkangala team, and he got an invitation to be part of the C team (Pumas),” his mom went on to say.

In 2023 Olwethu made it to the ‘pink squad’, which automatically qualified him for the first round for the Pumas selection. In April, Olwethu went to the final round for the Pumas selection, and he made it to the team. It was the greatest achievement for him, his parents, and his school.

“Rugby is a sport that demands respect, teamwork, and discipline, and Olwethu exemplifies these qualities in every game he plays. His dedication, hard work, and unwavering determination have been the driving forces behind his success,” his mother said.

Angel said that she supports her son by showing an interest not only during his matches but by also attending some of his training sessions, “To give him feedback and advice on his overall performance. This demonstrates our family’s admiration and support for his hard work, and as a result, he can put more effort into his game whenever he sees us watching from the stands,” his mother encouraged.

She ended by saying she offered him emotional support regardless of the outcome of the match, win or lose, “We let him know that we are proud of his efforts and offer words of encouragement. We also stress the value of having fun and practising good sportsmanship instead of concentrating solely on winning.”

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