Grocott's Mail
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Sunday, June 15
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Grocott's Mail
    • NEWS
      • Courts & Crime
      • Features
      • Politics
      • People
      • Health & Well-being
    • SPORT
      • News
      • Results
      • Sports Diary
      • Club Contacts
      • Columns
      • Sport Galleries
      • Sport Videos
    • OPINION
      • Election Connection
      • Makana Voices
      • Deur ‘n Gekleurde Bril
      • Newtown… Old Eyes
      • Incisive View
      • Your Say
    • ARTSLIFE
      • Cue
        • Cue Archives
      • Makana Sharp!
      • Visual Art
      • Literature
      • Food
      • Festivals
      • Community Arts
      • Going Places
    • OUR TOWN
      • What’s on
      • Spiritual
      • Emergency & Well-being
      • Covid-19
      • Safety
      • Civic
      • Municipality
      • Weather
      • Properties
        • Grahamstown Properties
      • Your Town, Our Town
    • OUTSIDE
      • Enviro News
      • Gardening
      • Farming
      • Science
      • Conservation
      • Motoring
      • Pets/Animals
    • ECONOMIX
      • Business News
      • Entrepreneurship
      • Personal Finance
    • EDUCATION
      • Education NEWS
      • Education OUR TOWN
      • Education INFO
    • EDITORIAL
    Grocott's Mail
    You are at:Home»SPORT»News»Coach Carlos joins Rhodes Rugby
    News

    Coach Carlos joins Rhodes Rugby

    Staff ReporterBy Staff ReporterSeptember 21, 2017No Comments3 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Coach Carlos.

    By Anima McBrown

    As Rhodes University Rugby Club bids coach Qondakele Sompondo a hearty farewell, they welcome Coach Qondani ‘Carlos’ Katywa to their rugby stable. The 31-year-old Port Elizabeth-born Katywa has coached at the University of Fort Hare (UFH), and has extensive experience both as a player and a manager. He recently completed his Honours in B. Applied (Communication and Management) at UFH.

    Katywa is no stranger to the Grahamstown community. He went to school at Graeme College. He thinks fondly of his competitive rugby days, remembering how he idolised Rhodes rugby back then. It has always been a dream to be part of the Rhodes first team squad. He now gets the chance to lead the club in a different way as the new head coach.

    “Sport has always been a major part of my life,” says Katywa. He played at the Craven Week rugby tournament, and the Sharks Academy in Durban in his earlier playing days. He describes his return to Grahamstown as taking the next step in his coaching career, “a dream come true”.

    Katywa wants to build on the foundations laid by his predecessor. He has already set up a working ‘blueprint’ to take the Rhodes Rugby Club forward, and further. “I want to establish a different direction; I will be re-routing Rhodes rugby” he says. At the core of this re-routing process will be an all-important preservation of Rhodes rugby’s university status at Varsity Shield level.

    Katywa wants to re-inject the principles, morale and integrity that have been lost along the way, as the rugby team experienced an extremely tough season this year. “I want to professionalise the team, and bring about an all-round elevation of team spirit and work ethic,” says Katywa.

    Coach Carlos.

    Coach ‘Carlos’ – a nickname he coined in his playing days, after the great New Zealand rugby player Carlos Spencer – looks forward to harnessing a family style code of support for the rugby squad. He wants to see Rhodes rugby embracing participation and contributions from local schools and the community at large. “The club should represent a Grahamstown team, not just a university squad.” Katywa is passionate about centralising outreach programmes. He will ensure that Rhodes rugby is doing its part for, with and in the greater Grahamstown community. A grassroots approach will incorporate different involvements and initiatives so that the city as a whole can benefit.

    Katywa acknowledges that there will be challenges. “There are a lot of changes ahead and we have a few problems to fix but I am big on positivity,” he comments. He believes that during his tenure, he can help take Rhodes rugby to the highest level possible. Ultimately, his three-year goal is to take Rhodes to the Varsity Cup. The progress will not happen overnight but Katywa is adamant that bigger, better achievements lie ahead.

    Previous ArticleA legacy of love and honesty
    Next Article Raymond Mhlaba National Heritage Rugby Tournament
    Staff Reporter
    • Website

    Comments are closed.

    Code of Ethics and Conduct
    GROCOTT’S SUBSCRIPTION
    RMR
    Listen to RMR


    Humans of Makhanda

    Humans of Makhanda

    Weather    |     About     |     Advertise     |     Subscribe     |     Contact     |     Support Grocott’s Mail

    © 2025 Maintained by School of Journalism & Media Studies.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.