WORCESTER GIMNASI UM
WORCESTER GYMNASI UM
I
n 2017 we waved goodbye to the sportsday
Worcester High (our direct predecessor) and Roberston
against the old rivals HTS Drostdy, leaving a defi-
High were still competing for the shield.
nite gap in the annual sports calendar. What many
current Bosvarke do not realise however is that
this has paved the way to take up an even older rivalry, steeped in rich tradition, against Robertson High.
Our very own Mr Du Toit remembers vividly how desperately you wanted to win that shield. As a youngster in the school, you knew how much the match meant, but you also realised that competition for the shield fell solely to the First XVs of each school. He remembers, rather
It is hard to tell how old this rivalry is exactly; the precise
wistfully, how for 11 years (from Grade 1) he had looked
record keeping only dates back to 1938. Even in those ear-
forward to lifting the shield and how for 11 years the
ly annuals it becomes apparent that the matches against
teams he played in beat Robertson, but on that one day
Robertson were the most anticipated of the year. And the
which mattered most, his first team match against them,
competition was clearly fierce and very competitive. Up-
they lost.
on further investigation it stands to reason that the rivalry might date back to as early as around 1907, but it is difficult to corroborate this fact.
Mr Fransman also remembers the Robertson matches fondly, but his u.15 match against them was to be the last as in 2005 Robertson also opted to bow out of the Shield
In the earlier days of competitive
competition. What really stings is that while they had lost
sport amongst schools a number
the shield match in the years pre-
of the Boland schools (on our side of the mountain at least)
Mrs Hofmeyr before the big clash with Robertson High in her matric year
ceding 2005, this final one, they won and the shield has remained
competed for a Rugby Shield. It
in Robertson ever since, a serious
started off with eight schools in
bone of contention according to
total, including schools like Bon-
the various teachers who had been
nievale, Swellendam, Ceres and,
involved back then.
of course, Robertson High and Worcester
Boys’
High
(the
grandfather of Worcester Gymnasium). As time progressed more and more of the schools left the competition for various
reasons. Around the 1980s only
Johannes Hanekom who played for the Robertson High First XV in 2005, still remembers that match vividly. He called it, “A brutal scrap, ending in close score like 6 -
9 with no tries scored.” Hanekom also added, “It might not have been Robertson’s official interschools anymore, but you always knew that the Bosvarke would be the toughest match of the year and you had to play well beyond your ability if you wanted a shot at winning. Luckily, we managed to do that in 2005!”
The rivalry with Robertson might have
started with the Shield and primarily focussing on rugby all those many years back, but it had blossomed into so much more. We were unable to find out the exact date, but we know that by the 1970s the sportsday against Robertson had become the official interschools between these two schools where every team’s results in a wide variety of sporting codes (and cultural debates) mat-
tered. It remained as such into the late 1990s where it was
tire season unbeaten (beating HTS twice), who went on to lose the Shield match against Robertson.
unfortunately cancelled.
For the past decade there has been limited competition Mr Gie recalls the interschools against Robertson as an example of what a school rivalry should be. “It was massively competitive, but always played in good spirit. The gathering of staff was always positive and you had genuine friends at Robertson. It was just good healthy compe-
between the two schools. From the history between the schools, it becomes apparent that there may certainly be some scars that need healing in this rivalry, but maybe this sportsday against Robertson on 5 May is the start of that healing process.
tition all round, something that I always felt was missing in the derby matches against Drostdy.” It isn't interschools and we're not playing for the shield, but who knows, maybe this is the first step in getting Mr van der Bank remembers how interschools would start on the Friday already and culminate in the First XV
back to those days that the older staff members speak of with such wonder.
playing at Boland Park at 16:00 to a packed stadium. It felt very much like a professional match with the crowds in attendance. According to him they were always incredibly tough. He remembers one of the great Bosvarke teams he coached in 1998, who had gone through the en-
By Mr Van Niekerk
“Wat is julle span se leuse vir die seisoen?” “Wat is julle span se leuse vir die seisoen?” The idea is not to block every shot. The idea is to make your opponent believe that you might block every shot. “Wat is julle span se mikpunt vir die jaar en hoe gaan jy, as kaptein, verseker dat hierdie mikpunt bereik word?” Ons span se mikpunt is om na elke game te verbeter en sterker uit te kom deur mekaar op te bou en nie af te breek wanneer daar iets verkeerd gaan in ‘n wedstryd nie. Ek gaan verseker dat ek my span positief hou en om elke game die beste game te maak. En dit sal ook ‘n hoogtepunt wees om vir De Kuilen aan die einde van die jaar te wen. “Wat sal jy sê maak julle span anders?” Ons is nie nèt netbalspelers nie, ons is familie wat as ‘n eenheid verbind. Ons stap nie op die baan met ‘n “moet wen” houding nie, maar eerder met ‘n “geniet dit en speel tot die beste van jou vermoë” houding.
To play the game is good. To win is better, but to love the game is the best of all. Asook, my longe praat! *more inside joke laughter*
“Wat is julle mikpunt vir die jaar?” Om elke game ons harte uit te speel en om saam te groei as ‘n span. Asook om hierdie jaar se fiksheidsoefeninge te oorleef *wink wink aan Juffrou Mills*
“Wie is die beast in die span?” Almal is YSTERS, maar ek moet sê dat Gretchen Jeftha ‘n beast is as dit kom by defence. “Wat is die snaaksste tyd wat julle hierdie seisoen saam as ‘n span beleef het?” Ons het al verskriklike snaakse tye saam gehad, maar ek is jammer om te sê dat what happens in our team, stays in our team.
“Wat is een word wat jy sal gebruik om jou span te beskryf?”
“What is your team’s quote for the season?” No guts, no glory “Wat is julle span se leuse vir die seisoen?” Brothers for life. (B4L) “Wat is die doelwit wat julle vir die jaar gestel het?” Om oorwonne te wees aan die einde van die seisoen asook om onder die Top 8 te eindig by die International Hockey Festival. “Wie is die clown in die span?” Definitief Endi (Pablo) Mdingi. “Wat sal jy sê is jou beste ‘skill’ op die baan?” Ek het baie goeie visie op die baan, en sal sê dat ek die game baie goed kan lees.
“What would you say is the biggest role you play, as captain, for the team this season?” To set an example for the team and to TRY to keep the discipline within the team. “What is the one thing that gets the team pumped up before a game?” When we all gather together for Bible study before our playing time. It gets our minds straight and ready for the game. “What has been the highlight of this season thus far to you?” Definitely when I ran through the Gimmietunnel, leading the team against Swartland High School.
Lené Van Der Merwe( U.14A girls hockey captain)
Q: Wie is jou rolmodel in die eerste span en hoekom?
Karl Klüsman( U.14A boys hockey captain)
L: Maret Vlok, sy het altyd n goeie houding op die veld en sy motiveer almal om hulle beste te doen.
Q : Hoe balanseer jy akademie met sport? L : Ek stel vir myself n program op en ek stel my prioriteite reg. K : Goeie tydsbeplanning en prioritisering speel ʼn groot rol as dit kom by skool en span lewe. Deur goeie en effektiewe tydverbruik en soveel as moontlik werk te doen tydens skoolure maak dit moontlik om meer aan sport te fokus.
K: Pieter Minnie en Cassiem Fredericks was en is nogsteeds my rolmodelle, al is hul nie meer in ons skool nie. Die manier waarop hul leiding geneem het en hul liefde en kennis van die sport met hul mede spanlede en juniors, op ʼn mooi manier, gedeel het, sal my vir lank bybly.
Q: Wie is die mooiste seun/meisie in die eerste span? Q. Wat het jy geleer van hokkie?
L: (giggel) Dirk Hofmeyer.
L: Elke deeltjie maak die legkaart vol en almal moet soos n span saam werk om die wedstryd te wen. Almal speel 'n groot rol in die wen van die spel.
K: Anja Joubert.
K: Hoe harder jy werk, hoe meer suksesvol gaaan jy wees. Wat jy insit gaan jy uitkry en dit is baie belangrik om doelwitte vir jouself te stel as jy wil verbeter.
Nicola Roux(U/14A netball captain)
Johan Uys(U/14A rugby captain) Who inspires your team the most? The supporters that always make the time to attend our games and definitely our friends and families. Would you say there are a few baby springboks in the team? Yes! Waleed Hollenbach is definitely one of them. What is the atmosphere in the team. We all get along and we always motivate each other to perform our best as a team. Q : What is the teams’ motto? The size of the man does not matter, it is all in the heart.
Out of all your teammates who is the craziest and why? Ané. She is FULL of energy and she is always spontanous. She cheers everyone up with her silly jokes that sometimes, is not intentional. This is a big sportsday for WG, do you feel ready for the game? Yes, we are all going to give our best and as long as we enjoy it, it will be worth it. What makes your team uniqe? We are full of energy and we enjoy each others’ company so much. Although we’re the youngest team on the court, we are all bosses. Describe the team’s atmosphere Energetic and full of jokes, but if we’re on the court we are in full game mode (except Ané)
Journalists: Karla de Bod Be-Arthur Davids Mr Van Niekerk
Photographers:
Anja Joubert Carla Wolstenholme Chane Pienaar Gaby Jacobs Jana Matthee Miche Wium