As the Junior Springboks prepare for the U20 Rugby Championship, MARK KEOHANE hails the contributions of veterans Brok Harris, Willem Alberts and Ruan Pienaar to SA rugby.
Writing for TimesLIVE, Keohane applauds the grizzled Harris for his longevity and youthful spirit, noting his historic 150th appearance for the DHL Stormers in an impressive victory against Leinster in Cape Town on Saturday.
Former Springbok hardman Alberts, who will retire at the end of the season, similarly receives plaudits for his toughness and loyalty to the Lions, where he began his career.
Hanging up his boots after the SA Cup, Pienaar is acknowledged for his extensive career and transition into coaching with the Cheetahs U21s.
Keohane juxtaposes their careers with the Junior Boks heading Down Under, emphasising the passing of the torch to a new generation while stressing the significance of honoring the legacy of the trio of seasoned campaigners.
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“The significance of this rugby week in South Africa is the celebration of the first Junior Springbok squad playing in the inaugural U20 Rugby Championship in Australia,” Keohane writes.
“The Junior Boks play the traditional foe New Zealand on Thursday in the first of three tournament matches, but this past weekend South African rugby saluted the grizzlies in Brok Harris and Willem Alberts for the most remarkable careers.
“All.rugby lists 540 active South African-born professional players and Harris (39), Alberts (40) and Ruan Pienaar (40) are the exceptions to an average age in the last 20s.
“In a week when these three veterans rightly get a standing ovation for services to the game, the focus will shift to a group of players who weren’t even born when those three musketeers made their professional debuts.”
Photo: Grant Pitcher/Gallo Images
The post SA rugby’s grizzled ‘musketeers’ saluted appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Src: sarugbymag.co.za
