The 16 th of June this year has seen the South African Rugby League (SARL) celebrate it’s 21 st Anniversary at Germiston Stadium, Johannesburg when a curtain raiser involving the South Africa Rhinos side of 2006, played a Barbarians Select that included players from the BARLA Great Britain Lions side that were touring the country. Although the game finished 44-42 in favour of the Barbarians Select it wasn’t about the result it was about the fact that rugby league is still being played in the ‘Horn’ of Africa.

The great game of Rugby League has been played in two era’s, the first began in 1957 until the 1962-63 season and from 1990 to the present.

During the second era the national side the South Africa Rhinos played in the 1995 and ‘ill fated in some quarters’ 2000 World Cup both of which were played in England.

Following the latter World Cup and visit by the England U/21 side which defeated them in its Two Test Matches 112-6 and 74-4 in Pretoria and Germiston respectively the game has struggled in South Africa.

This hasn’t been helped by the lack of media coverage in the country though the press television and radio where the South Africa ‘Springboks’ rule supreme. But rugby league is not about to die in South Africa if the enthusiasm of SARL Chairman and founder member in 1990 David Van Reenen and his three man Board formed two years ago have their way. They have a plan which they are taking forward towards 2012 when they hope they will be competitive enough to take part in either the World Cup or an Emerging Nations World Cup.

The other members of the Board of Directors are Nico Pretorious Vice Chairman, Drikkie Mulder South Africa Rhinos Head Coach and Gerry Gendall Development Officer and South Africa Rhinos Assistant Coach.

Nico Pretorious who has played and coached the game and is in charge of the South Africa Rhinos U/23 side was appointed to his current position five months ago explained the current situation of the game,

“We have been competing really hard over the last two years although rugby league has been in the country for a long time. We have twenty four teams in our championship which begins at the end of August and finishes in December. Players are then selected from the clubs to play for their respective four Provincial sides, Eastern Eagles, Vaal Buffaloes, North Gauteng Bulls and Mpumalanga Panthers. Those teams play a series of round robin games at the end of January February and March to decide the best Province. From that competition the selectors choose the players to represent their country and play for the South Africa Rhinos and the Under 23 sides.

“Last year we were supposed to play the USA Tomahawks in the Unites States of America in a World Cup qualifier unfortunately we couldn’t raise the finances at that stage to go because it would have cost half a million rand. What we did though was tour and compete in Italy and played a Test Match against BARLA and played in a Nines Tournament. We then invited BARLA to tour here this year to help us further develop our game after our last International Test Series here 2001.

“Following the 1995 World Cup league just fell apart in South Africa. There were too many chiefs and not a lot of Indians. The biggest problem and mistake was they tried to pull Union players into league and not use the current league structure that was in place at that time which was quite strong.

I was playing at that stage as well and we had good players, for some reason they chose these big huge union players from Pretoria and they just got thumped every single time.

“We still didn’t learn in 2001 our last International in this country when the England U 21’s RFL side came over and played two Internationals but they thrashed us by high scores. From a SARL point of view it didn’t do our side any good or help take the game forward. They didn’t do themselves justice because what happened once again players that were chosen for that side weren’t really league players. They pulled them together like we’ve got an Invitational side, had two practices and tried to compete based on the fact that they were all big and bulky and strong but it didn’t count.

“So what we have done now is that the players playing for us now are purely on their skill level, and performance and the fact that he is the best that we have at that position in the country. That makes a huge difference.

“We are overshadowed by Rugby Union although their season finishes in mid August and we have players from the other code also playing rugby league. Some of the Provinces try to discourage their players from joining our sport and some do not mind. It also depends on the coaches at the respective Union clubs but the guys that do play league enjoy it.”

Nico Pretorious agreed they have a battle for national media coverage as rugby league isn’t broadcast on television, on major radio stations who charge you for your publicity and the major newspapers.

“With the demise of our game there has been no television coverage or highlights of the games from Australia or Great Britain and France and without a doubt if this were ever to happen people would sit up and take notice and the game would explode.

“The coverage of the game on the radio is limited at the moment to the smaller stations. We have enquired with the major stations for exposure and publicity but for this they would have charged us a fortune which we cannot afford. So we are grateful to the smaller radio stations.

“Publicity through the press is limited to local newspapers rather than at national level and an example of this is with the Kempton Wolves Rugby League Club who has got a strong relationship with the Kempton Express. Each Tuesday following a game at the weekend, a match report and article is published on Thursday with information of the clubs next game.

“People in South Africa are slowly getting to know league and the moment that we get some financial backing in this country I think it will change completely. The players playing league at the moment will definitely play league if they had a choice, they would not play union at all.”

Nico is aware that to take Sponsorship of the game to the next level television coverage of the game in South Africa is important,

“At this stage it has been difficult because league is still growing in South Africa. At Representative and club level you can get local sponsors for jerseys, shorts and socks and that is the level we are playing at the moment. It’s not easy because people don’t know the game; they can’t get anything back really in return. Any sponsor when you sponsor something wants to see something for their return. The moment we get television coverage we will get sponsors galore because their brand will be highlighted. Television for us at the moment is a bit of a problem and a challenge for us but we will sort that out somehow.”

Following this year’s visit by BARLA there is an air of determination and optimism for the SARL to make sure that they get it right this time for the future of the game in South Africa and Nico set out their International map for future

“We want to work to 2012 the World Cup or the Emerging Nations World Cup and we are going to work hard to that point to put a really strong side on the field. We are going to try and tour from now on and every year if we can, depending what happens with our relationship obviously with BARLA. Next year we want to go to Italy and send our young U/23 side to play Nines and a Test Match against Italy. A more experienced South Africa Rhinos squad on tour to BARLA next year or the year after. We want to try and alternate it up to 2012. We need to get as much experience as we can at International level and we can only get this through competition. “Give us two or three years and it will find a different story.”

With the Rugby League World Cup in Australia fast approaching next year to help celebrate the country’s Centenary in the game the SARL will be hoping that the competition makes a profit so that funding can go down to food chain to South Africa to enhance their further plans for the future and whatever may happen in 2012. It would be a disaster for all concerned within the game to once again leave them in the wilderness.

For the SARL the Rhino is waiting in the wings waiting to rise.

Steve Manning

 

This has been a tough, exhilarating road. Writing this article was harder than the two test series we played against BARLA. I would rather play those two games all over again then admit to our defeat, but that’s life. We are Rhinos, South Africa’s best rugby league players, we are a family, so we do what all good families do we pick each other up, dust one another off, and take this loss on the chin and move forward!

We have learned a lot from this, and come out battle hardened and mentally ready for our next test.

BARLA could not, and will probably never be able to match the physicality of the Rhinos, but they are clever and used their experience over the Rhinos to beat them. They attacked the fringes, and the wings, just like the first test, but; the Rhino’s defense held strong as we were not going to make the same mistakes as before, then they tested the middle field and again we hit them hard. So they chipped the ball over our heads, with no full back on defense and our defensive line standing flat, they ran in for their first try. The first of 3 in exactly the same manner. Their plan was obviously not to take us on physically but was to play behind our defensive lines and catch us on the wrong foot, this worked for them. This obviously caused us to get sucked in on defense again creating an overlap for the visitors where the scored another 2 try’s. Once again their game plan working for them as they stuck to it , where as the Rhinos started to lose form and shape in the second half , we were down to 11 men at one stage , a yellow card given to Franco Vermeulen ( N G Bulls ) for a supposed dangerous tackle and a shocking call on Riaan Botha ( Eagles ) , who was given a red card after he was punched by a BARLA boy, this decision crippling the Rhinos and gave BARLA more of an advantage .

So, now that we have given BARLA more respect than deserved in this article , not taking anything away from the boys , they came to South Africa to play the Rhino’s and win , that is what they did , with some cheap shots , continuous complaining about the physicality of the game and some shocking theatrics , they did emerge victorious, well done to them .

Now its time to look at our MEN, the Rhinos, there were some stand out performances and some positive points to our game.

There are two players that stood out above the rest, Bertie Powell (NG Bulls) and Heinrich Rademeyer (NG Bulls). Powell must have been the hardest man out there ripping into the BARLA attack , Powell seemed to be everywhere showing up at almost every tackle , he made some of the biggest and crowd pleasing hits I have ever seen , its players like him that make Rugby League the hardest hitting rugby . Heinrich not a natural stand off, played one of his best games, he never stopped running and passing the ball, taking on BARLA sometime on his own and almost always getting us over the advantage line. The tireless effort of these two seemingly super natural players was in a word, Awesome!!

Hein Grobler ( Eagles ) made his debut for the rhinos along side Rademeyer ( NG Bulls ) and put in a stellar performance , giving him a well deserved man of the match . He played with a lot of heart never giving up on himself and the team, always trying to create something on attack and standing strong on defense. It is always special to get man of the match when you play for your country but to receive this honor on your debut is very rare. Well done to him.

The two tries the Rhinos scored were great team tries , the first being scored by the man of the match , Hein Grobler ( Eagles ), linking up with Henrich Rademeyer ( NG Bulls ) the Rhinos attacking the BARLA line making up meters and sucking them in , when Hein running from depth received a short ball from Heirich about 5 meters from the try line , BARLA did not see him coming , and if they did they were not prepared to tackle him , hitting the ball at full pace Hein ran through the middle of their defense to score next to the posts , he also converted .

The second try scored by Rademeyer, this time Rademeyer linking up with winger Jonathan Soares ( NG Bulls ) Rademeyer throwing a huge pass out wide , Soares collecting the pass running at the line pulling the BARLA center , Soares changing direction , to pull the BARLA winger , creating the overlap Rademeyer came around Soares at pace . Soares without hesitation listening to the call of Rademeyer gave an over the shoulder pass, Rademeyer running the ball in for an awesome try.

Special mention must go to Dolf Nel ( NG Bulls ) who again put in a great performance , they say there is no substitute for pace , that maybe true , but when you play with Dolf you realize there is no substitute for pace and POWER . Francoise Cloete ( Eagles ) the captain and inspiration to the team , again showed why he deserves to be there and why he is Captain , with the flu , this man , this Rhino , put in a tireless effort breaking the BARLA defense more than once making some good meters and never giving up , even in the face of certain defeat , he kept the teams moral up and played his heart out .

I have mentioned a couple of players that seemed to stand out from the rest , but every single Rhino gave his all , they never backed down , and never gave up , I have asked many of the players about the game and team . Each player had something different to say about the game , but all were proud to play with the man next to him , they gave their 100 % and that is all you can ask , luckily for us our 100 % has just moved up a couple of notches .

We would like to thank the coaches, Drikkie Mulder, Gerry Gentile for the great work they were able to do with the team in the short amount of time they had. To our team manager who always had some words of inspiration for the boys and looked after us like we were his own Family thank you Oom Kallie (Kallie Klaasens)

And to probably the most important of all, the person who kept the boys healthy and on the field, no matter what injury, she was able to get us back on that park and playing, to

Trudie Voster, we thank you for keeping us on the battlefield.

BARLA Chair Spen Allison who is up for re-election for that post at the BARLA AGM this weekend had a busy time on Saturday 16th June at Kempton Park Johannesburg. Not only was he there to see if the BARLA Great Britain Lions could clinch a 2-0 Test Series win over the South Africa Rhinos, but was joint manager of the South Africa Barbarians who took on the South Africa Italy Rhinos in a curtain raiser.

The curtain raiser was to officially celebrate the 21st Anniversary of South Africa Rugby League and Allison’s joint manager was South Africa based Jim Jefferson (Brother of John Jefferson BARLA Great Britain Lions Assistant Manager).
The Barbarians side included Skirlaugh trio Trevor Penrose, Matty Danville, Simon Kilby, Dave Critchley (Eccles & Salford Juniors), Joe Elliott (Barrow Island) and Danny Smith (Shaw Cross Sharks). They came off the field as winners overhauling a 36-12 deficit into a last second 44-42 victory.
The BARLA players made a significant impact during the game with a brace of tries from Trevor Penrose and one each from Dave Chritchley and Danny Smith and a happy ending for Allison.

Spen Allison said,

“I and Jim Jefferson only had the players in the Barbarians squad for around thirty minutes and it just shows what can be done in a short time to achieve a result. This has been a great day for the twenty first anniversary of the game in South Africa and I was proud to be involved in this curtain raiser. Long may our great game continue in this country and we will do whatever we can to develop in game in South Africa and beyond.”

It was even better ninety minutes later as the BARLA Great Britain Lions defeated the South Africa Rhino 42-10 to win the Test Series and return with an unprecedented and historic four wins from four on tour in South Africa. Allison gave his thoughts of the game and the Emerging World Cup should it be played in the near future,

BARLA Chair Spen Allison,

“It’s an extremely proud moment for me and BARLA. I am absolutely delighted at the players and the management. From day one they have all worked together for the good of the game, for the good of the BARLA name they have all done a tremendous job.

“We have had a lot of successes during the thirty four years but this must rank amongst one of our best without a doubt. We have had some very good results I just think that we have come here to do a job we have done that job and its due credit to all the players and management that have been involved.

“I sincerely hope that politics don’t interfere with us defending our championship in the near future the Emerging Nations World Cup. We are the holders of that trophy and I do believe without a shadow of a doubt that we should be the people to defend that championship and we should be given that opportunity to retain that trophy.

“It would be a tragedy for the game because if we are going to take things away from BARLA like that then it is going to break people’s hearts. People are going to be disillusioned with rugby league and that isn’t what we are about what we should be doing is expanding on all borders and the only way to do that is to continue doing the good work that we are doing.

“We are the amateur side and I am very proud to be called amateur, I do my best to operate as a professional but I am very, very proud of my amateur status and I would never relinquish that for anything.”

Steve Manning
BARLA Media Manager & PRO

South Africa Rhinos 10 v 42 BARLA Great Britain Lions
Kempton Park, Johannesburg

BARLA Great Britain Lions are the pride of the British Amateur game after defeating the South Africa Rhinos after this eight try thrashing of the South Africa Rhinos. The game was as physical and bruising as the First Test and the Lions kept their discipline under intense pressure and were led at the front by Captain Anthony Broadhead who scored a hat-trick of tries and won the BARLA sponsors Man of the Match Watch.

He had the first and final word on the game scoring the opening and closing tries of the match and also had one disallowed in the first half which would have given him a first half treble.

The side managed to do what the England Rugby Union side couldn’t do last month and win a Series in South Africa and side created history within BARLA winning all four games on tour to this country overtaking feat of the 1995 BARLA side which won Two Test Matches and against the South Africa U/21’s.

Through this success the side can rightly call themselves the most successful amateur representative side in the world and are looking to regain another trophy later this year when the Australian Aboriginals tour these shores and the side is unbeaten for the last three years and under Head Coach Chris Middlehurst’s tutelage.

As hard as the game was the Rhinos did their best to slow the game down and the second half was a stop start affair. But as the Lions forwards got on top they eventually cut loose in the latter stages of the second half with three tries in seven minutes in the second half which the referee called time on with ten minutes remaining.

The Rhinos by this stage were down to twelve men following the sending off of prop Riaan Botha on 61 minutes. Both sides had a player sin binned in the second half with Franco Vermeulen and Scott Woodcock respectively having a ten minute rest.

The Lions opened the scoring after eight minutes on the last tackle when from the play the ball Eastmoor Dragons scrum half Kevin Brown flicked the ball out to half back partner John McMullen (Wigan St Judes) who put a perfect grubber into a wide in goal, and Broadhead beat the defence to touchdown.

Five minutes later the Lions and Broadhead thought they were celebrating his and their second try when he collected an angled bomb from Kevin Brown to score, but the score was disallowed.

The Lions then gave away a penalty for offside and the Rhinos took a quick tap and caught the Lions out as Rhinos full back Hein Grobler crossed the whitewash for a converted try also adding the extras for a 6-4 lead.

This shocked the Lions for a few minutes but they retook the lead they were never to relinquish on 18 minutes. Kevin Brown put in a grubber but this time it ricocheted off a Rhinos player into the arms of second rower Gary Lumb (Cutsyke) who powered his way through the parting defence from twenty metres and McMullen added the goal as he did on the next try.

There were some explosive exchanges between the forwards and cheap hits from the Rhinos but the Lions kept their cool and increased the lead on 27 minutes. On the third tackle from the platy the ball McMullen chipped over a static defence and Broadhead raced through for his second.

Five minutes later they scored their fourth try of the half when Kevin Brown found full back Craig Holmes joining the line and his flat ball sent Sharlston Rovers Lee Maskill over but the conversion was missed. The referee then blew up five minutes short.

The second was stop start with time held because of some ferocious hits and the referee lost his patience sin binning Vermeulen for a late hit on Kevin Brown on 45 minutes. The Lions made them pay three minutes later following yet another penalty and McMullan and Holmes combined to send centre Tim Sutcliffe (West Bowling) in for his sixth try of the tour and finish top try scorer on tour and Ryan Robb (Kells) kicked the first of his three attempts from four for a 26-6 lead.

As the tension increased and the tackles got fiercer Thornhill Trojans Woodcock was sin binned on 57 minutes and from the resulting penalty after a bout of Rhinos pressure stand off Henrik Rademeyer scored his side’s second try.
Three minutes later Botha went for an early bath after another hit on Kevin Brown and the Lions cut loose in the last seven minutes.

McMullen chipped over the Rhinos defence for Robb to score a converted try on 63 minutes. Five minutes later Mike Backhouse finished off a six man move scoring in the corner and from the restart Broadhead completed his treble in unusual circumstances. McMullen passed to Woodcock who drove through the defence before returning the pass and McMullen found hooker Paul Brown who had a clear forty metre run to the line. As he was about to reach the try line he unselfishly gave the ball to Broadhead to score and Robb’s final conversion brought the game to a premature end.

Man of the Match Captain Anthony Broadhead,

“It was a fantastic win the boys came out and we knew we had to be tough up front. We had Scott (Woodcock), Kev Thompson Dicko (Kevin Dickens), Caville (Mike) all the lads in the pack who can take a lot of credit for building the foundations for the win. They toughed it out and in the backs we had Kezzer (Craig Holmes), Tim Sutcliffe running out wide. I take my hat out to all of them we have done the job. Four out of four wins, unbeaten on tour and you can’t ask for anything more

“On my final try ‘Puppy’ (Paul Brown) could have put it down but he gave me the accolade of getting a hat-trick. I have never scored a hat-trick before and I am thankful to him and I have absolutely loved it here, a great set of lads and we have all come to South Africa and given it our all.”

BARLA Great Britain Lions Manager Mick Turner,

“It’s fantastic to win any Test Series and come home undefeated at any level of rugby league, the Rhinos are not a poor side by any means they came out, they are very passionate a little bit on the dirty side but very enthusiastic. I think our finishing at the end was too clinical for them and I am full of pride for all the lads they have put there hearts out there they played with discipline and they proved why they are the BARLA Great Britain Lions.

“We are now unbeaten since 2004 three years undefeated bring anybody on the Emerging Nations World Cup is coming up we must be playing in that as the holders of the Emerging World Cup if not we are looking forward to playing anybody.”

BARLA Chair Spen Allison,

“It’s an extremely proud moment for me and BARLA. I am absolutely delighted at the players and the management. From day one they have all worked together for the good of the game, for the good of the BARLA name they have all done a tremendous job.

“We have had a lot of successes during the thirty four years but this must rank amongst one of our best without a doubt. We have had some very good results I just think that we have come here to do a job we have done that job and its due credit to all the players and management that have been involved.

“I sincerely hope that politics don’t interfere with us defending our championship in the near future the Emerging Nations World Cup. We are the holders of that trophy and I do believe without a shadow of a doubt that we should be the people to defend that championship and we should be given that opportunity to retain that trophy.

“It would be a tragedy for the game because if we are going to take things away from BARLA like that then it is going to break people’s hearts. People are going to be disillusioned with rugby league and that isn’t what we are about what we should be doing is expanding on all borders and the only way to do that is to continue doing the good work that we are doing.

“We are the amateur side and I am very proud to be called amateur, I do my best to operate as a professional but I am very very proud of my amateur status and I would never relinquish that for anything.”


SOUTH AFRICA RHINOS: 1. Hein Grobler, 2. Jonathon Soares, 3. Ryno Nel, 4. Gerard Jacobs, 5. Carlo Snygans, 6. Henrick Rademeyer, 7. Meyer Van Deventer, 8. Riann Botha 9. Bertie Powell, 10. Francois Coetzee(Capt), 11. Dolf Nel, 12. Franco Vermeulen , 13. Hercu Nel. Substitutes: 14. Gerard Du Preez, 15. Roele Strydom, 16. Marius Kruger, 17. Rudi Coetzee

Tries: Grobler (14), Rademeyer (58)
Goals: Grobler 1/1

BARLA GREAT BRITAIN LIONS: 1. Craig Holmes (Thornhill Trojans), 2. Chris Lee ( West Hull), 3. Tim Sutcliffe (West Bowling), 4. Andy Dobson (Blackbrook) 5. Mike Backhouse (Roose Pioneers), 6. John McMullan ( Wigan St Judes), 7. Kevin Brown (Eastmoor Dragons), 8. Scott Woodcock (Thornhill Trojans), 9. Paul Brown (Castleford Panthers), 10,. Kevin Thompson (Wath Brow Hornets), 11. Jimmy Rogers (Saddleworth Rangers), 12. Gary Lumb (Cutsyke), 13. Anthony Broadhead (Capt (Thornhill Trojans). Substitutes: 14. Ryan Robb (Kells), 15. Lee Maskill (Sharlston Rovers), 16 Mike Caville ( West Hull), 17. Kevin Dickens (Sharlston Rovers)

Tries: Broadhead (8, 27, 70,) Lumb (18), Maskill (33), Sutcliffe (48), Robb (63), Backhouse (70)
GoalsMcMullan 2/3, Robb 3/4

South Africa Rhinos Man of the Match: Van Deventer
BARLA Great Britain Lions Man of the Match: Broadhead

Half-time 6-20

SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-4, 6-4, 6-10, 6-16, 6-20, 6-26, 10-26, 10-32, 10-36, 10-42

Steve Manning
BARLA Media Manager & PRO