Three learners from Grahamstown high schools have made it through to the trials that were recently held at the Miki Yili stadium for the upcoming Peter Mkata memorial schools rugby tournament that will take place in Port Elizabeth later this month.
Three learners from Grahamstown high schools have made it through to the trials that were recently held at the Miki Yili stadium for the upcoming Peter Mkata memorial schools rugby tournament that will take place in Port Elizabeth later this month.
The three boys who will be representing Cacadu district municipality in the U19 annual tournament are: Luyolo Mzileni (TEM Mrwetyana Secondary School), Nkosiyabo Nondlwana (Nathaniel Nyaluza Secondary School) and Mpumezi Duruwe (Nombulelo High ).
The 22 man squad is comprised of players from other schools such from Humansdorp and Alexandria, among others.
The Peter Mkata Memorial schools rugby tournament has been going since 1995 and is named after the late Peter Mkata who played rugby in the Eastern Cape but was denied opportunities to further his favourite sport because of the political situation at the time.
According to Sharief Gamiet, assistant manager of sports development at the Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture the tournament came about after Makhenkesi Stofile, the then Premier of the Eastern Cape advised that there be tournaments in recognition of heroes such as Mkata.
"This tournament offers the participants an opportunity to be seen and possibly be snatched by teams that come to the tournament on the lookout for talented players," he said.
When asked how the boys will manage their rugby and school seeing that they are all still in high school Gamiet said that most of them are in Grade 12 and that they usually get offers such as scholarships to study at universities where rugby is a sport of choice.
"Those who are in Grade 12 and aspire to further their studies while also playing rugby they have an opportunity for scholarships to such universities, but that’s if they show the talent at the tournament," he said.
This year there’ll be seven teams on the lookout for talent. The tournament will be held in Port Elizabeth from 23 to 27 Septemeber.
