College Rovers have roped in Jannie du Plessis, Dick Muir, Ian MacDonald and Braam van Straaten to help with their preparations for the Community Cup.
The 20 participating clubs will be competing for the Gold Cup, which has been restored and brought out of retirement for the tournament. The trophy will make its way to Durban on Friday from SARU’s headquarters in Cape Town, with a mystery guest due to deliver it to the field on Saturday just before kick-off at 14:30.
The opening match is a repeat of last year’s Club Champs quarter-final, which saw Rovers come from behind to pip Despatch 41-30 en route to their second national title. Rovers have not only lured former Sharks and Racing Metro flyhalf Greg Goosen back to Durban, but also enlisted the help of the aforementioned three former and one current Springboks!
The men from Despatch are coached by another former Bok, Adri Geldenhuys, and are a household name in SA club rugby. They will travel to Durban with fond memories of playing at Kings Park, having won the old National Club Championships twice at this venue in 1985 and 1988.
Former Springbok midfield maestro Danie Gerber was one of the stars of the Despatch side of the 1980s and is still involved with the club based outside Port Elizabeth.
There is also massive anticipation for the match between Blue Bulls champions Pretoria Police and Durbanville-Bellville, the top non-university club in Western Province.
Nico Luus, who was named National Club Champs Player of the Tournament last year, will captain the Bobbies on their adopted home ground of the Loftus Versfeld B-field in Pretoria, adjacent to the stadium where they beat Tukkies in the final of the Carlton Cup last season.
Durbell will hope to build on their very good 2012 season, when they beat Maties and UCT home and away but were pipped at the post for the WP Super League A crown by the Stellenbosch students, to finish second on points difference.
Elsewhere, a number of clubs will be criss-crossing the country for their opening-round fixtures.
Fixtures, Saturday, 16 February
14:30: College Rovers (KZN) v Despatch (EP) – KP3, Durban (TV)
15:00: Villagers Worcester (Boland) v Sishen (GW) – Esselen Park, Worcester
15:00: Pretoria Police (BB) v Durbanville-Bellville (WP) – Loftus B, Pretoria
15:00: African Bombers (wild card) v Welkom Rovers (Griffons) – Zwide Stadium, Port Elizabeth
15:00: Rustenburg Impala (Leopards) v Roodepoort (GL) – Rustenburg RFC
15:00: Noordelikes (Limpopo) v Raiders (wild card) – Noordelikes, Polokwane
15:00: Old Selbornians (Border) v Brakpan (Valke) – Old Selbornians, East London
15:00: Roses United (wild card) v White River (Mpumalanga) – Pelican Park, Wellington
