Owayeqeqesha iSpringbok, uPeter de Villiers, uphakathi kwamadoda agacele isikhundla sokuqeqesha iqela lombhoxo laseMpuma Koloni, iEastern Province Elephants. Kukhangelwa umqeqeshi omtsha yiEastern Province emva kokuhamba kukaChumani Booi obengumqeqeshi – kodwa ngoku osele ekwiPumas Rugby Intsitute. Ngaphandle kukaDe Villiers, amanye amadoda ekuza kukhethwa kuwo aquka uRicardo Laubscher owayelisekela likaHeyneke Meyer kwiSpringbok, uDeon Keyser, uJonathan Mokuena noKevin Musikanth.
Nangona bonke aba baqeqeshi besaziwa futhi benazo izakhono zokuqeqesha – kodwa uDe Villiers ngoyena unethuba elihle ngenxa yesakhono namava anawo. Sekulithuba elide okaDe Villiers esoyanyaniswa ne-Eastern Province. Kweli ityeli, kunokwenzeka anikwe ithuba elakuthi limbuyisele embhoxweni waseMzantsi Afrika emva kokuqeqesha iqela lesizwe laseZimbabwe angazange aphatheke kakuhle kulo kunyaka ophelileyo.
UDe Villiers wazibalula kakhulu njengomqeqeshi weSpringbok ukusukela ngonyaka ka-2008 ukuya koka-2011. Umqeqeshi uza kwaziwa emva kodliwanondlebe oluza kwenziwa ngomhla wesibini ukuya kowesithathu kwinyanga yoMnga ka-2020. Abaphathi bombhoxo eMpuma Koloni bazama ukulungisa izinto emva kokuba kubhangiswe iSouthern Kings kwiinyanga ezigqithileyo ngenxa yeengxaki zemali nolawulo olungaqinga ezayigubungela ngexesha elibi lokufika kwekhorona.
Eyona nto eyabangela iKings iqhwalele kakhulu yaba kukunqunyanyiswa kwemidlalo yePRO14 okwenza okwabikho imali esuka kubaxhasi. Ukubhanga kweKings yinto embi embhoxweni waseMpuma Koloni ngoba akukho ndawo abadlali abatsha abaza kuzibonakalisa kuyo. Umqeqeshi omtsha uya kungena kwiEastern Province kukho ingxaki efana naleyo kwelona phondo elivelisa abadlali abaqaqambileyo embhoxweni waseMzantsi Afrika. Kunyaka ozayo, iEastern Province iza kudlala kwiCurrie Cup nakwiSA Cup.
BUKELA – Usuku lwenkululeko: Izimvo zabantu