Club activities are in full swing, with women back in training, referees kicking off, and both administrative and coaching aspects gaining momentum.
This weekend sees our first batch of community matches as our clubs get started with friendlies. We see Excelsior host Strand United, and UWC host UCT, Hamiltons host the Maties Young Guns, Bellville travel to Hawston, and Hamediehs present their annual community tens tournament at Vygieskraal starting from 8am.
Collegians and Manenberg Rangers begin their pre-season friendlies with participation at the Hamediehs Community Tens, with Silvertree, Callies, Vineyards, Gardens, Primrose, Rocklands, Blue Jets and Hamlets also in the lineup.
Our Universities are gearing up for action, with last week seeing WP Rugby playing UCT at Masiphumelele. FNB CPUT starting their Varsity Shield on 23 February 2024 against the FNB Madibaz, with UCT, Maties, and UWC launching their Varsity Cup campaigns on 19 February 2024.
Our WP World Rugby coaching courses have been finalized. The first course, World Rugby Level One, is scheduled at Newlands on 16 February 2024, followed by World Rugby Level Two on 15 March 2024. Communication has been disseminated to all our clubs, and for those eager to get a head start please click here to sign up now.
This coming week sees us host a workshop at Newlands on the new laws for amateur rugby, with invites to senior club coaches having gone out. Clubs are reminded to be on the lookout for additional correspondence.
Our next World Rugby Level One referees course is at Brackenfell Primary School on 17 February 2024. We urge all our clubs to notify their members and remind everyone that by becoming a referee, you place yourself in a position to know the game, stay involved, and give back to the world of Western Province Rugby. Anyone wishing to sign up should contact the WPFRFU offices directly or send an email to smahlatsi@wprugby.co.za.
Regarding women’s participation, our WP Rugby women’s squad initiated their training at the HPC this week. The enthusiasm was palpable, with several women marking an early start to the season.
Big news as part of our Women’s rugby growth plan sees us hosting an open day trial on 03 Feb 2024 at HPC Bellville from 09h00-11h00. All clubs and fans are requested to notify any senior female players who might be interested in attending, with registrations happening on the day to be assessed through various rugby training programs.
On the administrative front, this week witnessed a significant push for our clubs to ensure the registration of pre-season friendlies with WP Rugby, as all clubs are urged to submit this information as soon as possible.
We also remind all our coaches to ensure they have renewed their Boksmart certificates; this can be done online at my.boksmart.com.
At WP Rugby, club administration and governance remain high priorities. This week, we continued the rollout of our club governance and compliance processes. We appreciate the collaborative efforts of our club members in this ongoing process.