Rugby League will go from strength to strength says Jan Prinsloo, Chairman of Rugby League in the North West Province. Jan succeeded to introduce and to have rugby league played for the first time at a Union rugby club in South Africa when Potchefstroom Dorp Rugby Klub opened its doors for League after lengthy deliberations. According to Prinsloo, it pays of well and rugby is the winner.
This is one of a few breakthroughs League made in the North West.
Potch Dorp competed during 2015 league season in different
competitions and narrowly missed out on the final of the Jan Prinsloo
Provincial League Cup. The Potchefstromers gave the American
University of Beirut a hiding and the top League team in South Africa
at the time, the Bears of Kempton Park, was also buried in their very
first encounter on the main field of the club. After this, a strong
warning went out of what to expect in 2016/17.
.
Oom Jan spills over of energy, enthusiasm and dedication when he talks
about League,irrespective of him turning 80 next year. He was recently
asked by Potch Dorp to attend as coordinator for the 125th year
celebrations of this newly formed Union/League Club. The celebrations
took place on 23 April and scores of union legends showed up. Oom Jan
again caught everyone by surprise. Unaware of what Oom Jan was up to,
he asked the Master of Ceremonies to give him a few minutes.He had a
plaque in his hands and after a short but philosophical address, he
presented the Plaque on behalf of SARU to Mr. James Stofberg, Deputy
President of SARU who was asked to presented it to the chairman of the
Club, Dr. Jan Janse van Rensburg. This came as a huge surprise because
no one knew of Oom Jan's negotiations in secret with SARU.. The bond
between League and Union took an surprisingly positive turn at the AGM
of the Leopards Rugby Union a few weeks ago when the President of the
Leopards Rugby Union , Adv. Andre Mey, urged union clubs to follow in
the footsteps of Potch Dorp and play League in the off season. "This
could contribute to the development of not only rugby but the the
skills of players," he said.
Last year, League was again on the front pages. Oom jan took the
initiative to have an historical event in South African rugby to be
relived by commemorated an event many years ago. A huge granite
plaque was designed and placed on the very same site where
Potchefstroom Dorp and Klerksdorp met in 1890 for the very first time
in a rugby match on the now historical Old Market Square. He said at
the occasion that Union rugby and League have a brotherhood which
cannot be denied as they stem from the same oak rugby tree and that
"the game is greater than the man", he said.
Oom Jan is presently the oldest, active Rugby League official in South
Africa and a Legend of the game. He gained the Springbok blazer for
League after the 1963/4 Springbok tour to Australasia and is since
1962 actively involved with League.He is presently the adviser to the
President of South African Rugby League, Mr. Kobus Botha, a great
Rhino Rugby League man, a good friend of the Leopards rugby side and
supporter of the Springboks.
This is one of a few breakthroughs League made in the North West.
Potch Dorp competed during 2015 league season in different
competitions and narrowly missed out on the final of the Jan Prinsloo
Provincial League Cup. The Potchefstromers gave the American
University of Beirut a hiding and the top League team in South Africa
at the time, the Bears of Kempton Park, was also buried in their very
first encounter on the main field of the club. After this, a strong
warning went out of what to expect in 2016/17.
.
Oom Jan spills over of energy, enthusiasm and dedication when he talks
about League,irrespective of him turning 80 next year. He was recently
asked by Potch Dorp to attend as coordinator for the 125th year
celebrations of this newly formed Union/League Club. The celebrations
took place on 23 April and scores of union legends showed up. Oom Jan
again caught everyone by surprise. Unaware of what Oom Jan was up to,
he asked the Master of Ceremonies to give him a few minutes.He had a
plaque in his hands and after a short but philosophical address, he
presented the Plaque on behalf of SARU to Mr. James Stofberg, Deputy
President of SARU who was asked to presented it to the chairman of the
Club, Dr. Jan Janse van Rensburg. This came as a huge surprise because
no one knew of Oom Jan's negotiations in secret with SARU.. The bond
between League and Union took an surprisingly positive turn at the AGM
of the Leopards Rugby Union a few weeks ago when the President of the
Leopards Rugby Union , Adv. Andre Mey, urged union clubs to follow in
the footsteps of Potch Dorp and play League in the off season. "This
could contribute to the development of not only rugby but the the
skills of players," he said.
Last year, League was again on the front pages. Oom jan took the
initiative to have an historical event in South African rugby to be
relived by commemorated an event many years ago. A huge granite
plaque was designed and placed on the very same site where
Potchefstroom Dorp and Klerksdorp met in 1890 for the very first time
in a rugby match on the now historical Old Market Square. He said at
the occasion that Union rugby and League have a brotherhood which
cannot be denied as they stem from the same oak rugby tree and that
"the game is greater than the man", he said.
Oom Jan is presently the oldest, active Rugby League official in South
Africa and a Legend of the game. He gained the Springbok blazer for
League after the 1963/4 Springbok tour to Australasia and is since
1962 actively involved with League.He is presently the adviser to the
President of South African Rugby League, Mr. Kobus Botha, a great
Rhino Rugby League man, a good friend of the Leopards rugby side and
supporter of the Springboks.