OFFICIAL MATCH PROGRAMME
XEROX GOLDEN LIONS vs DHL WESTERN PROVINCE 9 SEPTEMBER 2016
CONTENTS MESSAGE: PRESIDENT SA RUGBY
5
GLRU PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
7
XEROX MESSAGE
9
RUGBY ACTION
11
CLIMBING THE COACHING LADDER
12
CURRIE CUP TEAMS
14
RUGBY ACTION
18
LIONS
TALE
Official magazine of the GLRU www.lions-tale.co.za
Publishers: Rugbyvaria Editor: Annemie Bester Graphic Design: Reneé Naudé
Advertising: Annemie Bester
GLRU Media and PR Manager: Annemie Bester Photographer: Deon van der Merwe Website: lionsrugby.co.za
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE • 5 www.lionsrugby.co.za
MESSAGE FROM THE ACTING PRESIDENT OF SA RUGBY I WOULD LIKE to welcome everyone here today to the game. The Currie Cup has been part of the South African rugby landscape for as long as the game has been played here. In fact, it is fair to say that the Currie Cup, despite various format changes over the decades, has been the backbone for the game of rugby union in South Africa. The tournament has grown in stature and into the hearts of South Africans and the fact that you are here today still supporting your team in this iconic competition bears testimony to that. For all these years and decades, the game has nurtured and moulded players, coaches, referees, administrators and indeed, fans of this great game and rugby is in a better place because of that. The Currie Cup is truly #WhereLegendsRise.
This year, rugby will yet again be played in all corners of South Africa, thanks to the Currie Cup competition. We want to thank all our sponsors of the Currie Cup for their contribution to help the competition remain in the forefront of the hearts and minds of our rugby supporters. Sponsors have become the adrenalin competitions like this need to thrill and grow the game and we thank you for that. Now, please go out and support your team with all the passion and pride you have. That is what Currie Cup rugby is all about. Regards, MARK ALEXANDER SA RUGBY ACTING PRESIDENT
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE • 7 www.lionsrugby.co.za
WELCOME TO EMIRATES AIRLINE PARK, HOME OF THE XEROX GOLDEN LIONS ON BEHALF OF the Golden Lions Rugby Union, we wish to extend a warm welcome to the Management and staff of Western Province to Emirates Airline Park here this evening. A special welcome to John Dobson and his team and we trust that your experience at the Park will be a memorable one. In previous years encounters between our two provinces were always referred to as the true North and South Derby. Both teams would play for the Southern Shield which is proudly displayed in the Lions Museum today. In the cosmopolitan city of Johannesburg, there has always been a strong support for Western Province and together with our supporters, this
should be a well-represented audience. Both teams always display a good running rugby type game, and this one should be no different. Exciting rugby for these two teams is always on the cards. I would like to wish Coach Ackers and his team every success and trust that both teams will enjoy the match. Thank you to our dear fans that have come out this evening to support your team, and then to our most valued sponsors, thank you, we value your gracious support. REGARDS Kevin de Klerk. President: GLRU
BYTES DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS • 9 www.lionsrugby.co.za
MESSAGE FROM THE CEO OF BYTES DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS They say that it is always easier winning a trophy than it is defending your title, an adage that has proven to be true more often than not. However, the Xerox Golden Lions, the current Currie Cup champions, are certainly working hard to change that perception in their quest to keep hold of the trophy. In the first round of the Currie Cup, the Xerox Lions recorded a thumping 68-26 victory over the Pumas at Emirates Airlines Park. Then they were brought back to earth by the Griquas in Kimberley. The Griquas have arguably caused the upset of this year’s Currie Cup competition by beating the Golden Lions 30-24 to spoil their unbeaten run. Since then the Xerox Golden Lions had the loss against the Blue Bulls after a closely contested match. The Lions are also in new territory now and their Springbok recognition means they are no longer playing the Currie Cup with all their top players, but the abovementioned two defeats were their first – and only – since the 2014 Currie Cup final. Indeed, it had been a long time since the Lions last lost a game to any South African team in either Currie Cup or Super Rugby, so the Griquas achievement was a
noteworthy one. But the Xerox Lions is a team with a long and very proud history which includes 10 triumphs in the Currie Cup and I have no doubt that tonight we will see the best the Xerox Lions have to offer. It is also a young team growing stronger with each game and offering a blend of experience that is unsurpassed in the game. It is one of the most exciting teams to watch and we look forward to sharing many more moments of wonderful rugby here at Emirates Airline Park. All of us at Xerox and Bytes Document Solutions are proud of the team’s achievements to date, and expect last season’s Currie Cup victory and this season’s Super Rugby final to serve as a solid foundation from which the Golden Lions can reach for glory for years to come. We thank all our incredible fans for their unwavering support. They have been a key ingredient to the continued success of this team. We wish the Lions the best for tonight’s game. We are with you all the way. JOHAN BASSON CEO BYTES DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS
28 www.lionsrugby.co.za
JOEY MONGALO – CLIMBING THE COACHING LADDER By Annemie Bester, Golden Lions Media Liaison CRICKET WAS HIS thing. But then Joey Mongalo helped Pretoria Boys High beat Affies for the first time in 18 years in his matric year (2003), scoring all 18 his teams’ points at flyhalf. It was the first Boys High win in the derby since most of the two teams’ boys were born. Mongalo, now the Xerox Golden Lions Under-19 head coach, is slowly but surely climbing the coaching ladder. The first inkling that he had been noticed, came last year when he was appointed as defence coach to the SA Under-20 team for the Junior World Championship. Mongalo’s Lion Cubs team is currently third on the log after a great wins over Western Province at Emirates Airline Park and the Free State over the past two weekends. Mongalo is assisted by Neil de Bruin and Philip Lemmer. Mongalo grew up in Brits where they played only soccer until his grade 6 year. Marius van Heerden was the teacher who persuaded the young Joey to try his hand at rugby. “I was the wicketkeeper so I had good hands. That made flyhalf the obvious choice, and I immediately realised just how big rugby is with 1500 boys playing the game.” He immediately excelled in this sport and later, at Pretoria Boys High, he stuck with the oval ball and represented the Blue Bulls
at Craven Week at scrumhalf for two years. However, cricket remained his big love. He wanted to join the Northern Titans cricket academy and played with famous names such as Faf du Plessis, AB de Villiers and Roelof van der Merwe. “In my first year after school I really didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. I didn’t want to sit in an office all day, but I wasn’t aware that one can pursue sport as a career. Ashley Evert, who coached the Bulls U20s at the time, phoned me on my birthday, 6 January 2004, and asked if I wanted to join them.” Joey didn’t know what to study. He literally played eeny, meeny, miny, moe to pick a course. It landed on BCom Marketing. Joey got his opportunity at Nr 13 and the Bulls won the Under-20 competition in 2004 against the Lions that year and for three years they played against the Lions in every final. In his second year he realised that he can make something of his life. He started working hard and excelled in his studies. In 2006 he represented South Africa at the very first (U20) Junior World Championships when they lost to France in the final. He seriously considered giving up his studies for rugby, but a lecturer, after a stern talk made him discard this idea – something he remains thankful for. In 2007 the Blue Bulls lost in the Vodacom
Cup final to Griquas in Kimberley and in 2008 he got his first opportunity in Currie Cup rugby when coach Pote Human picked him, also against Griquas. Interestingly, it was Griquas coach Dawie Theron who picked Mongalo in 2015 as one of his assistants at the SA Under-20 side. That same year Joey played in the very first Varsity Cup series as a member of the Tukkies side. He felt he had achieved all he could in rugby and was staring to plan the next part of his career. He joined the Blue Bulls as part of their marketing team while he finished one last subject at varsity and when he obtained his degree, he joined the Vodacom marketing team. “I started getting an inkling that I enjoyed my life, but I wasn’t living it full out. I didn’t have a passion for it. I really missed playing sports and moved my working hours to play some cricket again.” When Nico Serfontein joined the GLRU he invited Joey to join the Lions as the team manager of the U-19s in 2011. The coaches were Herkie Kruger, Russel Winter and Hans Coetzee.
Joey Mongalo, right, with the Under-21 Assistant coach at the Lions, Bafana Nhleko after their double against WP at Emirates Airline Park a fortnight ago. Photo: Annemie Bester, Golden Lions Media Liaison
Joey realised they didn’t have a defence coach and Coetzee gave him this opportunity. This is where his life as a coach started. To get as many hours coaching as possible under his belt he helped out at Wits, KES, Parktown and St Stithians. The last three years he assisted with the Unions’ U21 side and assisted the Wits Varsity Shield team that gained promotion this year. He learned a lot from both Winter and Hugo van As. Joey married Zinzi, an accountant, at Emirates Airline Park in 2013 and they live in Melville. They love being involved with their church and they also do some charity work together. “Zinzi is awesome. I met her when our house of single guys started inviting friends to meet more people. I knew from the start that I was done, I had met the one,” he says with that familiar broad smile. Mongalo says being a head coach is a huge role as it involves not only coaching the players, but people management, administrative skills, where his marketing helps a lot. Relationships are taxing, and that is his new thing.
XEROX GOLDEN LIONS
15 Andries Coetzee 14 Selom Gavor 13 Jacques Nel 12 Rohan Janse van Rensburg 11 Anthony Volmink 10 Jaco van der Walt 9 Ross Cronje (capt) 8 Fabian Booysen 7 Ruan Ackermann 6 Kwagga Smith 5 Lourens Erasmus 4 JP du Preez 3 Ruan Dreyer 2 Robbie Coetzee 1 Dylan Smith
Replacements:
16 Akker van der Merwe 17 Jacques van Rooyen 18 Andries Ferreira 19 Cyle Brink 20 Ruaan Lerm / Stef de Wit 21 Ashlon Davids 22 Howard Mnisi Coaches: Johan Ackermann (Head Coach) Swys de Bruin (Assistant Coach) JP Ferreira (Assistant Coach)
9 SEPTEMBER 2016
Referee: Jaco Peyper
AR1: Jaco van Heerden
DHL WESTERN PROVINCE
15 Cheslin Kolbe 14 Werner Kok 13 EW Viljoen 12 Johnny Kotze 11 Leolin Zas 10 Robert du Preez 9 Jano Vermaak 8 Kobus van Dyk 7 Jurie van Vuuren 6 Rynhardt Elstadt 5 Chris van Zyl (capt.) 4 Jan de Klerk 3 Wilco Louw 2 Mike Willemse 1 JC Janse van Rensburg
Replacements:
16 Neil Rautenbach 17 Alistair Vermaak 18 JP Smith 19 Jacques Vermeulen 20 Eital Bredenkamp 21 Dewaldt Duvenage 22 Scott van Breda. Coaches: John Dobson (Head Coach) Dawie Snyman (Backline Coach) Russell Winter (Forwards Coach) Norman Laker (Defence coach) KICK-OFF: 19:00 AR 2: Eduan Nel TMO: Johan Greeff
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