Visiting British rugby players are among those teaching a new form of rugby to six primary schools in Soweto. The outreach programme ends in a tournament on Saturday.

A RUGBY storm is swirling through Soweto this week, and the dust will only settle on Saturday evening after the third test match between the Springboks and the British and Irish Lions.

Encouraging rugby in Soweto schools

During this week, which will culminate in exciting matches on Saturday, 4 July at the Dobsonville Rugby Fields, children from six primary schools in Soweto are being trained to play tag rugby, a new form of the contact sport. Tag rugby is non-contact.

"The children are learning an exciting and interesting form of rugby. It's a modified form of rugby," said Zola Ntlokoma, the manager of the Soweto Rugby Club, which is involved in organising coaching clinics for the learners.

South African Rugby Union, Central Gauteng Rugby Union, Gauteng Golden Lions, and British Lions legends are involved in the training.

After the two-day coaching clinics, the schools will compete in qualifying matches before the final, which will precede a rugby match between Soweto rugby legends and Gullivers. The latter is expected to include former British rugby legends, like former England and British Lions star Jason Robinson, who played in the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France.

The qualifying matches are taking place on Thursday and Friday, with the semifinals beginning at 8am on Saturday, followed by the finals at 10am.

Ntlokoma said the Soweto legends team included South African Rugby Union president Oregan Hoskins and former Springboks and Lions winger Khaya Malotana. "We have players who have played for the Springboks and in the former Transvaal Rugby Union," said Ntlokoma.

About 1 800 British and Irish Lions supporters are expected to travel to Dobsonville Rugby Fields to watch the matches.

The final test match between the Boks and the British and Irish Lions is at Ellis Park

The City of Johannesburg, among other things, is using the event to strengthen its commitment to work with sports federations and its drive to attract international sports supporters to previously disadvantaged communities.

"The event benefits the City in a big way because children in Soweto are part of it," said the stakeholder manager in the community development department, Karabo Semenya.

"We also want to expose the infrastructure that the City has developed there."

The final test match between the Springboks and the British and Irish Lions will be played at Ellis Park Stadium, and rugby fans at the Dobsonville Rugby Fields will be able to watch the live broadcast from a big screen to be set up at the facility.

The game, the last in a test series that South Africa has already clinched, will start at 3pm.

Related stories:

  Ellis Park to serve two masters