Jane Morris* is the captain of Rhodes' 7th squash side, otherwise known as RH7, which takes part in the Makana 3rd League Squash every Tuesday night.
Jane Morris* is the captain of Rhodes' 7th squash side, otherwise known as RH7, which takes part in the Makana 3rd League Squash every Tuesday night.
Her main job is to keep track of scores and gather a team for each week’s game. If there were ever a captain to epitomise gees (Afrikaans for enthusiasm), it would be Morris.
She usually has a shortage of regular players, yet she always manages to get a group of rapscallions together in time for game night.
Her tactic is to recruit people from Grahamstown’s local watering holes or to drop a text message on an unsuspecting victim. Most new recruits are required to have at least half the amount of Morris' gees, which is perfectly understandable.
The beauty of social squash is that it’s social; you get to meet a variety of colourful characters from Grahamstown. It was little more than two weeks ago that Morris called on three of her more regular players to an away game against the Port Alfred Thirds.
The league includes teams from Port Alfred and Kenton. As can be imagined, Morris then has to organise transport for her team-mates seeing as a 60km walk down to the coast would be out of the question.
The three okes sitting in the back-seat of her Yaris did their best to avoid awkward leg touching, all the while the front-left passenger had enough space to play fetch with a medium-sized dog. Before the passengers even realise the trip is over, they are on the courts playing against a slightly ‘mature’ crowd.
The ballies seemed to show the visitors no mercy in a 5-0 drubbing. One of the hosts could be heard saying that he plays squash to stay fit for cricket season.
After 45 minutes of squash and three hours of braai-ing and chatting, Morris and her team bade farewell to the Port Alfred Thirds and piled yet again into the Yaris.
“Hang on,” Morris says after about 15km into their drive back to Grahamstown. Yip. None other than the Pig ‘n Whistle of Bathurst.
Any true Grahamstonian knows a trip to Port Alfred isn’t complete without popping into the establishment at least once.
*Name changed due to embarrassment issues
