14/09/2026
SACS vs Wynberg Boys’ High — 2026.
SACS 44–29 Wynberg.
But the score isn't what stayed with me.
It was standing at the Memorial A and hearing parents singing igwijo after the game. Seeing African parents celebrating, singing and supporting their sons in a space where, when I was playing, that was simply not the reality.
That was a first for me.
Back in my playing days at SACS, there weren't many African boys playing rugby. And, truthfully, many of our parents were working on Saturdays, trying to put food on the table and keep their families going.
I was blessed in another way.
I could run onto that rugby field and just play.
No fear.
No pressure to represent anything bigger than myself.
No worrying about whether I belonged.
And certainly no worrying about the odd look from my dad when I made a mistake — especially with him being a revered scrumhalf himself. 😂
I could just be a rugby player.
Looking back now, I realise what a privilege that was.
Because today, when I see more African boys wearing the jerseys of schools like SACS, and I see their parents filling the stands, singing igwijo, celebrating and claiming their space, I understand that this is about much more than rugby.
It's about belonging.
It's about a young boy knowing that he doesn't have to be the exception.
He doesn't have to be the only one.
He doesn't have to wonder if he belongs in that environment.
He can simply look around and say:
“These are my people. This is my space. I belong here.”
And perhaps this is why the work I'm doing today through the Township Sports Index and my broader work around sports development feels so personal.
I know both sides of the divide.
I've been the township kid who got an opportunity to enter a privileged sporting environment.
I've played inside that environment.
I've worked within it.
And I've seen the talent sitting outside of it — young athletes who have the ability, hunger and potential, but don't always have the structure, access, visibility or connections to get through the door.
So when I see a moment like this at the Memorial A, I don't just see parents singing after a school rugby match.
I see a pathway opening.
I see a generation changing the picture.
And I hope we get to a point where African boys playing rugby at schools like SACS isn't something we notice anymore.
It's just normal.
Because talent is everywhere. Structure is not.
And sometimes, transformation sounds like a song coming from the stands.
Igwijo. ❤️🏉
