When popular rapper Emtee said in one of his lyrics that “dreams do come true, you can win if you want”, he did not slur over, as a total of 22 Eastern Cape rugby schoolboys are realising their dream and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in the UK.
Siphosoxolo Dano and Amile Mkhatshwa are two of the fortunate 22 schoolboys who earned their places through a series of competitive games at the Mzwandile Mali Schools Rugby Tournament, which was held earlier this year.
The duo, amongst 20 others, was selected out of a total of 528 players from 24 schools in Gqeberha and Fort Beaufort.
Dano, who is over 2m tall, is a utility forward representing Solomon Mahlangu High School, while flank Mkhatshwa comes from Tyhilulwazi High School in Gqeberha.
Last week, Standard Bank and the Lincoln Mali Leadership Foundation held a celebratory send-off event for the 22 young rugby players alongside head coach Monde Tyaliti and his entire staff in Rosebank.
“This is an opportunity of a lifetime for me to go overseas and play rugby against other nations, which will help improve my skills,” Mkhatshwa said.
“I never imagined myself in this position. So, this alone opens a lot of doors, and we don’t know what the future holds and what we’ll encounter in the UK.”
Dano, who models his game around Springbok lock RG Snyman, echoed the words of his teammate, saying he hoped the tour in the UK would eventually lead to him following in the footsteps of Siya Kolisi and Makazole Mapimpi.
“I feel very happy because it will be my first time traveling overseas. I am also proud of myself for being able to manage myself well enough at this age because it is now clear where my future is headed,” Dano said.
The team left for the UK on October 4 and will return on home soil tomorrow.
