WSU ALL BLACKS COACH BACKS ASSISTANT AHEAD OF VARSITY SHIELD OPENER

Murmurs and nods of agreement filled a room packed with an expectant audience of WSU rugby enthusiasts as FNB WSU All Blacks head coach Thembani Mkokeli heaped praise on his understudy, assistant coach Phumlani Blaauw, during the team’s capping ceremony held at the Buffalo City Campus’ Potsdam Site on Wednesday, 11 February.

A former WSU captain and member of the WSU All Blacks technical team for the past five years, Blaauw has made significant strides in raising his profile as part of the coaching staff – an ascent so pronounced it prompted the head coach to step back and hand over the reins to the understudy during the Castle Lager Brutten Top Ten rugby competition that took place in East London.

“You cannot go anywhere as a coach if you don’t empower the people you’re working with – a good coach needs to prime his technical staff by entrusting them with huge responsibilities, hence I made a decision to step back as a coach and let Blaauw take the reins as head coach for the Brutten Top Ten,” said Mkokeli.

The head coach’s leap of faith paid off handsomely not only for Blaauw and the gaining of experience, but for the WSU All Blacks as well, who’d go on to lift the Brutten Top Ten trophy at the Police Park Sports Grounds following a season-long unbeaten campaign.

Mkokeli emphasized the importance of having a strong coaching unit – a pool with the necessary experience and varying philosophies aligned under one common goal, from which the head coach can solicit advice and counsel.

Preceding the head coach’s remarks were words so profound from WSU Vice-Chancellor Dr Thandi Mgwebi that they left many in the audience clutching their WSU logos.

“When you step onto that field on Friday, remember this - you come from villages.
You come from townships.
You come from cities.
You come from families who sacrificed so that you could stand here today. Some of you carry entire households on your shoulders. That is not pressure.
That is purpose,” said Dr Mgwebi.

As if she couldn’t tug at the heartstrings any further, the VC went on to remind the team that, more than being a sport steeped in collision, it’s a sport grounded in trust.

She challenged each and every player, imploring them to tackle with utmost intent, defend as a united counter front, and attack with crazed belief.

Concluding, Dr. Mgwebi parted with last words of encouragement, proclaiming: “There will be moments in that competition when the scoreboard is against you.
There will be moments when the crowd is silent.
There will be moments when your body wants to stop. In those moments, remember who you are. You are WSU. The University I described earlier. A university that refuses to be defined by circumstance.
A university that rises.
A university that fights.”

By Thando Cezula