Eastern Cape schoolboys head to the UK for once-in-a-lifetime rugby tour

Standard Bank, in proud partnership with the Lincoln Mali Leadership Foundation, is set to send 22 young rugby players from the Eastern Cape to the United Kingdom for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The players, selected from 528 boys and 24 schools from Gqeberha and Fort Beaufort, earned their places in the Mzwandile Mali XV through a series of competitive games at the Mzwandile Mali Schools Rugby Tournament held earlier this year.

Accompanied by four officials, the players, aged between 16 and 18, will be hosted by the Sevenoaks Rugby Football Club (SRFC), in Kent, from 4 to 13 October.

The team and staff will stay with families associated with the SRFC and will visit, practice with, and play games against Tonbridge School, Sutton Valence School, Brighton College, and Sevenoaks School.

“This is an exciting initiative, which we are proud to support,” Bonga Sebesho, Standard Bank Group Head for Sponsorships, said in a statement.

“Sport plays a pivotal part in the development of all children and these selected players, who are drawn from grassroots backgrounds, will have a firsthand opportunity to live out their dreams.”

In preparation for the tour, the Mzwandile Mali XV and support staff engaged in two training camps sponsored by the Eastern Cape Department of Sports, Arts, and Recreation, and the Atlas Foundation through Sevenoaks RFC. The team was hosted by the Nelson Mandela University (NMU) Madibaz High Performance Complex. A third camp, sponsored by VW SA Trust, is set to be hosted later this month at NMU.

The camps have enabled the Foundation to provide overall fitness, cultural, psychosocial, and educational support to prepare the boys for the tour. They also played matches against Muir College, African Bombers Juniors, Grey High School, and Newtown School in Fort Beaufort.

“We launched this tournament 10 years ago and it has grown from inception to a powerful grassroots growth project that kids across the province look forward to annually,” Lincoln Mali, the founder of the Lincoln Mali Leadership Foundation, said.

“Standard Bank’s partnership, in collaboration with other partners, has allowed us to expand this tournament to reach more kids who would ordinarily not have access to opportunity.

“We are humbled by the platform presented by Sevenoaks for these young players to showcase their talent in the UK and to a broader South African audience that will watch the streamed games.

“Seeing the impact that the tournament has, we hope to inspire others to look at what they can do to help with the progression of grassroots sport as a tangible root for the development of young people,” Sebesho concluded.

The UK High Commissioner to South Africa, Antony Phillipson, wished the boys good luck for their forthcoming trip. He commented: “This is such a wonderful opportunity for the boys and the UK families hosting them. It is a privilege to have them showcase their talent at an important rugby club like SRFC, and it shows how the UK and South Africa can exchange talent while pursuing common interests in areas we are passionate about.”