New WP skipper relishes challenge
Joslyn Titus
A reversal of fortunes is what Western Province's youth rugby sides will be hoping for when they line up in George and Pietersburg for Craven Week next month.
Last year the premier under-19 side lost two of their three games in Vanderbijl Park while the Craven Week Academy side (B team) returned to the Cape unbeaten.
The WP Academy side (C team) lost in the 1998 final to the Blue Bulls at the United Senior Schools Association of South Africa Games.
It is with the knowledge of how the senior team did last time that captain Alten Hulme is relishing the prospect of leading the A side in George.
"I see the role as a great challenge. I think having been part of representative sides before (the under-17 Academy team in 1997 and the Craven Week Academy side in 1998) I know what it is all about," Hulme said.
He has already shown his determination to lead by example when he injured his ankle in an under-19 match against their Matie equivalents last Monday.
"I've gone for intensive physiotherapy and it seems to be okay now," said Hulme, who is a matric pupil at Voortrekker High School.
"We expect tough challenges from the Bulls and South Western Districts. We're playing the latter in a warm-up game next Monday so we'll see how they shape up."
Another leader who is thrilled about his status is Michael Vorster, who will lead the under-19B side.
The 17-year-old attends Paarl Boys' High, Corne Krige's old school. Krige captained South Africa against Italy last Saturday.
"We're all proud of him. It's an honour to lead your province, irrespective of the age group," Vorster said.
"Corne is an inspiration to us all. The way he bounced back from all those setbacks is amazing and there's a lesson for us in it all."
De Wet Bekker, son of former WP lock Hennie Bekker, is ecstatic about his captaincy and the prospect of playing Colts rugby in New Zealand next year.
"Ag, it's just great to be captain of a Province side. It's the first time that I will be leading a team and I'm really looking forward to it," Bekker said.
Through Western Province coach Adrian Kennedy, Bekker and Delkeith Pottas (A side) and Bryan Roos will play under-19 rugby in Christchurch next year.
"I follow the New Zealanders' game pretty closely and I believe I will learn a lot from this experience," said Bekker.
Growing up with the familiar Bekker surname and having people always reminding you of what your father achieved as a player, does not bother the 18-year-old.
"It is more an inspiration than a burden. People probably expect you to do well because of who you father is," he said. "I'd like to follow in his footsteps and this is the beginning."
Until 1996, Bekker junior was a right wing and made the switch to No 8 in 1998.
"My school coach thought I'd lost the plot but I believed in my ability then. They all reckoned I was too tall for a No 8 but I was quick, having done sprints for the school," he said.
The A and B sides will play in George from July 11-17 and the C team in Pietersburg from July 4-8.
The teams:
Western Province A
Adriaan de Waal (Paarl Gym), Francois Barnies (Parow), Haldane Luscombe (Bishops), David Clayton (Rondebosch), Bastiaan van der Merwe (Paul Roos), Dalkeith Pottas (Paarl Gym), Gordon Johnstone (Paarl BH), Morne Coetzee (Boland Agric, Braam Immelman (Paul Roos), Ron van Heerden (Paarl BH), Alten Hulme (Voortrekker, captain), Jaco du Toit (Paarl Gym), Guthro Steenkamp (Paarl BH), Schalk Britz (Paul Roos), Jan D Moller (Paarl BH). Bench: Tsepo Kokoali (Bishops), Shaun Fortuin (Bellville South), Charlie Marais (DF Malan), Ernest Fredericks (Bellville Tech), Du Toit Serdyn (Paul Roos), Neil Fullard (Paarl BH), Pieter du Toit (Paarl BH). Coach: Avril Fritz (Forest Heights), assistant coach: Janse van der Ryst (President) Manager: Admiraal Lottering (Kasselsvlei)
Western Province B
Devon Visagie (Voorbrug), Jean-Pierre Williams (Kasselsvlei), Claude Krige (Paul Roos), Benjamin October (Hottentots Holland), Sakhi Qweba (Wynberg Boys'), Charlton Cloete (Hottentots Holland), Stefan Basson (Boland Landbou), Michael Vorster (Paarl Boys' High, captain), Bennie Booysen (Boland Landbou), Madoda Magqozolo (Oscar Mpetha), Ross Skeate (SACS), Ruan Barnard (Bellville High), Luke Geldenhuys (Tygerberg), Ludaan Khors (HTS Bellville), Fanie Terblanche (Paarl Gym). Bench: Melvin Smith (Scottsvile), Rudolph van Rooyen (Parow), Theo van Wyk (Stellenbosch), Sibusiso Ngalonkulu (Sitembile Matiso), Elroy Ligman (Scottsdene), Rowan Meyer (Wynberg Boys'), Marlon Parring (Ravensmead). Coach: Frans van Niekerk (Paul Roos), assistant: Vivienne Pietersen (Florida). Manager: Kosie Haarhoff (Bernadino Heights)
WP Academy side
Nkosinahi Nqoro (Nelson Mandela), Elroy Sauls (Florida), Marthinus van Rensburg (Brackenfell), Jade de Bruyn (Tygerberg), Langley Thorne (Scottsville), Emile Dunn (Tygerberg), Glenville Sheldon (Zeekoeivlei), De Wet Bekker (De Kuilen, captain), Llewellyn Maloy (Excelsior), Anthony Lampbrecht (President), Louis Fourie (Bellville), Casper Husselman (Zwaanswyk), Ralph Bock (Paarl Gym), Moegamat Adams (Voorbrug), Adriaan Pienaar (De Kuilen). Bench: Cedrick Bothma (Forest Heights), Jason Dampies (Zandvliet), Charles Langeveldt (Scottsdene), Jenkin Heyns (Florida), Khaya Funa (Thandokulu), Elias Hoffman (Kasselsvlei), Fadiel Rhoda (Zandvliet). Coach: Adiel Arnold (Zandvliet), assistant: Neels van der Heever (Ottery school for boys). Manager: Alton Harris (Belhar)