Ryno Benjamin’s rugby story is pretty amazing. He started as a Blitzbok star, thrilling fans with his skills, and now he is back at Vredenburg Rugby Club, helping young players find their feet. His love for the game shines through in everything he does.
Benjamin kicked off his rugby journey on the dusty fields of his childhood home town in Laingville, where his passion and determination took shape. He worked his way up, earning his spot on the South African National Rugby Sevens team. His playing days were packed with unforgettable moments like the Commonwealth Games, World Rugby Sevens tournaments and epic battles against some of the world’s top teams.
Full Circle: Back to Vredenburg
In 2021, Benjamin returned to Vredenburg Rugby Club, not just to coach but also to play, rediscovering his love for the game. Fast forward three years later, he stepped up as head coach, bringing his energy and know-how to the team. Thanks to his leadership, Vredenburg Rugby Club snagged the West Coast regional league title—what a comeback!
Giving Back: Benji Rugby Academy
But what sets Benjamin apart is his dedication and commitment to the next generation through the Benji Rugby Academy. This initiative is all about allowing young players to sharpen their skills, build character, and chase their dreams.
His commitment to giving back inspires hope in the community. Rugby taught him so much about life, and now he’s all about sharing those lessons. He is focused on creating opportunities for kids to succeed, both on and off the field.
A Champion’s Heart
Benjamin’s impact goes way beyond rugby. He’s a role model, mentor, and community leader, always pushing for positive change. His journey reminds us that success isn’t just about what you achieve; it’s also about how you lift others along the way.
As he continues to inspire young rugby fans, Benjamin’s legacy will live on, encouraging future generations to follow their dreams.
Charlie “Kat” van Canola is ‘n Caledon ondersteuner uit murg en been, so vertel hy hoe hy met op sy oudag nogsteeds agter sy geliefde Caledon reis om hul wedstryde te kyk.
Oom Charlie kon nie saam sy span Worcester toe reis nie, hy moes Jan Tuisbly se kar ry nadat hy ‘n sy broer Saterdag op die dorp moes begrawe.
Caledon het met Saterdag se 42-18 sege oor Villagers Worcester hul plek in die semi-finaal bespreek en gaan saam met die verdedigende kampioen en mede-Overberg span, Safcol United, op 16 November in Wellington meeding vir ‘n plek in die Sanlam Boland Top 12 finaal, a week later, op 23 November.
Oom Charlie “Kat” by die Vuma Fanpark in Caledon, week 4.
By Saterdag se Vuma Fanpark het oom Charlie sy teenwoordigheid behoorlik laat geld, en het met elke punt wat Caledon aangeteken het opgespring, oor die vloer gehardloop en geskreeu “Caleeeeeedôn, Caleeeedôn”.
Op die vraag oor hoekom hy nie by die veld was in Worcester was om sy geliefde Caledon te ondersteun nie, haal oom Kat sy hoed af en sê: “My kind ek was 2019 in Worcester en het my bene en my gesig stukkend geval soos ek geskreeu vir Caledon, vandag kan ek nie want ek moes my broer vandag begrawe.”
Om hierdie rede het hy sy pad gemaak na die Vuma Fanpark.
“Ek is so dankbaar vir die [Vuma] Fanpark, want ek kon my geliefde Caledon span daarem in aksie sien, ondersteun, en saam ander Caledon supporters kyk al was ons nie saam die span nie.”
Oom Charlie wen toe ‘n splinternuwe Sanlam Boland Top 12 rugby bal as die toeskouer wat die meeste gees gewys het, met die prys oorhandiging sak oom Charlie af; “My kind my vrou gaan kwaad wees want ekt weggehol van die huis, maar as sy gaan skel dan gee ek haar die bal en sê mamma nou gaan ons bôl speel.”
Safcol welkom ‘n vol vetroue Young Spurs, Town en Saldanha Baai pak mekaar aan, terwyl topspanne in Pool A – Caledon en Villa Boys – mekaar pak
In die Sanlam Boland Top 12 liedtjie is daar ‘n gedeelte, waar die sanger sing “…kom ons skreeu saam…die Top12 is dan nou aan die brand”.
Dit is presies wat nou aan die gebeur is met die Sanlam Boland Top 12 wat nou behoorlik kookwater en aan die brand is met nog twee rondtes wedstryde in die groepfase wat wag.
Caledon en Villagers Worcester gee die pas aan in Groep A met 15 ligapunte elk. Hierdie twee is nog onoorwonne en meet kragte op Worcester, ‘n wen vir een van hierdie twee spanne sal een voet in die semi-finale sit.
Newtons tans in die derde plek, het sy eerste sege van die toernooi verlede week beleef en sal hoop om hierdie momentum voort te sit wanneer hulle teen Eagles te stande kom. Eagles is nogsteeds opsoek na hul eerste Sanlam Boland Top 12 sege. Indien Newtons daarin sou slaag om vyf punte te kry sal dit hom binne trefafstand plaas van die voorlopers met ‘n tuiswedstryd in volgende week se laaste rondomtalie wedstryde.
Vredenburg speel gasheer vir Abbotsdale in n wedstryd waar die verloorder sy kanse op ‘n semi-finale plek kan koebaai groet, albei spanne het alreeds twee nederlae weg en ‘n derde sal hul veldtog eindig.
Safcol is nou al onoorwonne span in Groep B nadat Young Spurs verlede week vir Robertson Town geklop het. Die defending champs is nou onoorwone in 10 Sanlam Boland Top 12 wedstryde sedert verlede jaar se 2023 rondte een 21-15 teen Wesbank in Grabouw. Safcol pak juis Young Spurs in die einste Grabouw en sal sy unbeaten streak wil handhaaf.
Die besoekers van Doornbaai het die Boland aan die gons gehad toe hy vir n groot skok gesorg het en met die hoog aangeskrewe Robertson Town klaar gespeel het, dus kan hulle nie sonder handskoene aangepak word nie want nog n skok sal die kat behoorlik in die duiwehok los laat.
Die grote in hierdie groep vind plaas op Robertson met die tuisspan wat die voormalige Boland kampioen, Saldanha, welkom heet. Vir hierdie twee is hierdie ‘n moet wen wedstryd om binne bereik van die voorloper te bly. Dit gaan bitter moeilik vir die verloorder van hierdie stryd om na nog n nederlaag deur te dring na die semi-finaal. Ceres reis na Darling en nogsteeds opsoek na hulle eerste oorwinning. Laasgenoemde het die afgelope naweek so byna verras teen Safcol en sal vol vertroue wees om die een tuis deur te trek. ‘n Sege vir Darling sal so effe die agter deur oop trek vir sy semi-finaal kanse.
Confidence Rule 64: Hold the door open for those coming up behind you
In the small fishing village of Doornbaai, John Arendse grew up with three siblings, all raised by their determined single mother. Despite challenging conditions and a job in the local fish factory, she worked tirelessly to ensure her children could complete high school and access opportunities she never had. Her perseverance, paired with John’s dedication, paved the way for his remarkable journey.
After high school, John joined the South African Police Service (SAPS), where his natural athleticism and strength led him to a role as an instructor at the Police Academy. It was during this time that he joined the Tigers Rugby Club, competing in the Tygerberg Rugby Union. His skill and drive on the field quickly caught attention, and he was soon selected for the Tygerberg Union team to compete in the SA Cup under the South African Rugby Union (SARU).
In the early 1990s, John burst onto the provincial rugby scene, and in his first year, he was selected for the SARU team—a huge achievement in a competitive league. During this period, he played against me, his old Young Spurs teammate, who had been selected for the Western Province Countryside in the same SA Cup competition. Our paths crossed again.
According to Stanley Raubenheimer, another SARU legend, John Arendse’s talents would have surely carried him to the international rugby stage if the opportunity had been available at the time.
Today, John is retired and lives back in Doornbaai, where he has given back to the club that was integral to his early career. He even coached the Young Spurs for several seasons, sharing his knowledge and love for the game with the next generation. Now, John’s youngest son proudly continues the family legacy as part of the Young Spurs Top 12 squad for 2024—a testament to the enduring rugby spirit of the Arendse family.
Young Spurs salutes you, John Arendse—an inspiration, a legend, and a true pillar of rugby!
Diamante word gevorm onder hewige en drastiese omstandighede waarvolgens ‘n rots gebreek moet word om uit te kom by die glans, geslypte, en onskatbare diamantsteen.
Hierdie storie is een wat vertel word deur voormalige Mountain Stars rugbyspeler en huidige Villagers Worcester talentvolle speler, Karel Tarentaal:
Ek is `n trotse plaaswerker, `n onbesonge held wat onvermoeid daagliks verskillende uitdagings trotseer om `n beter lewe vir my familie te skep.
Ek swoeg dag in en dag uit, deur reën of sonskyn, om seker te maak dat ek uitstyg bokant die omstandighede van die plaaslewe waarmee ek konfronteer word.
Deel van my gesonde leefstyl-benadering was om op die plaas vir Mountain Stars rugby te speel vir 5 jaar en dus gedurende die tydperk dat ek gedroom het om eendag in die Grootuitdaag kompetisie te speel. Tydens `n wedstryd gedurende 2022, is ek genader deur `n Villagers Worcester bestuurslid wat vir my genoem het.
“Jy is `n rowwe diamant, jy kort afronding en finesse en slegs by Villagers Worcester sal ons jou slyp totdat jy diamantstatus verkry.”
Dit was 2023 toe ek, as rowwe diamant, die uitdaging aanvaar het van Villagers Worcester om daar geslyp te word. Die lewe op die plaas het my geleer dat dit ‘n skool van geduld is want jy kan nie die gewasse haastig maak of ryp druk en verwag dit moet binne twee dae `n uitvoerproduk wees.
Met die ingesteldheid het ek daagliks, direk `n dag se hardewerk, twee taxi’s geneem uit De Doorns, geklee in my overall en `n sakkie met oefen klere, asvaal van die stof, Boland Park binne gekom, gereed om deur die slypers geslyp te word. Vandag besef ek dat daardie smeltingsproses was die moeitewerd.
Twyfel het my laat wonder of Villagers Worcester my hardewerk, deursettingsvermoë en onwrikbare toewyding aan die klub, raak sien of gaan ek wat geen status het weereens aan die laaste speen moet suig. Toe ek dit die minste verwag, roep mnr Mercuur (hoofafrigter) my en sê: “ Tarentaal, kanse kom min, gryp dit aan, gaan oefen by die eerste span”.
My binneste wou bars van trots, maar ek het vir my self gesê: “ `n Tarentaal is `n geduldige jagvoël en slaan toe wanneer sy prooi dit die minste verwag – vra maar my teenstaanders op die rugbyveld, meeste ervaar nou nog nagmerries en koue rillings. Sedert daardie dag,
het ek nooit weer teruggekyk. Die smeltkroes waardeur ek moes gaan, was vir my `n pynlike ervaring, maar die slypingsproses het my in totaliteit `n beter diamant gemaak.
Wendell Wehr, my motiveerder en inspireerder, herinner my altyd dat suskes gaan nie altyd oor grootsheid nie. Dit gaan oor konsekwentheid. Dit is konsekwente harde werk wat lei tot sukses. Grootheid sal kom, en dis wat ek by Villagers Worcester kom leer het.
My geliefkoosde Bybel vers is: “Diegene wat te lui is om in die regte seisoen te ploeg, sal geen kos by die oes hê nie” (Spreuke 20:4). Hierdie vers laat my terugdink waar ons klub was in 2023 en waar ons nou is – die sesoen van oes want ons hardewerk sal beloon word. `n Bietjie meer volharding, `n bietjie meer moeite en wat na hopelose mislukkings gelyk het, het nou tot glorieryke sukses verander en so gaan die slypingsproses van die rowwe diamant voort en vertrou ek dat die glans wat ek afgee, alle ondersteuners se harte verwarm.
Sanlam Confidence Rule 30: To protect what matters, you need to know what matters.
Renfred Adams, 34, the dynamic number 6 for Darling Rugby Club, has made a significant impact on the field. Adams brings experience, dedication, and tenacity to his game. Originally from Abbotsdale, he has not only showcased his athleticism and leadership skills but also contributed at the local rugby community. He can inspire the younger generation and through that encourage overall team spirit and cohesion. Adams’ journey reflects dedication, resilience, and a deep love for the game of rugby, making him one of the key figures at Darling Rugby Club.
A former student of St Michaels Primary and Schoonspruit Secondary, he has made a significant impact on the rugby scene since joining the Darling Rugby Club in 2019. A talented player his a very young age, having showcased his talent in various Boland tryouts for the U13 and U19 teams.
With the unwavering support of his wife and three children, he balances his passion for rugby with family time and admires Cheslin Kolbe as his favorite player, highlighting the blend of dedication and love in his life.
Renfred Adams exemplifies the spirit of teamwork at Darling Rugby Club, where his dedication and hard work make him a valuable asset to the first team. His willingness to put in extra effort not only inspires his teammates but also strengthens the overall cohesion and performance of the squad.
His exceptional skills and unwavering determination make him an indispensable asset to the Darling Rugby Club’s 1st team, elevating both the team’s performance and morale on and off the field.
