The Senatla 7s Tournament will roll into Parow, Cape Town, to unearth and showcase the city’s most promising talent.
The Under-11, 17 and 18 boys and girls from across the region will go head-to-head in this two-day showdown, spearheaded by rugby player and South Africa Sevens record-setting try scorer Seabelo Senatla and the Connect Academy.
The event will be held at the Connect NTK Rugby Club.
Crowned World Rugby Men’s Sevens Player of the Year in 2016, Senatla is the all-time leading Blitzboks try scorer and “hot stepper”. His career includes stand out provincial, national and international performances as a wing. Yet, this tournament is about far more than sport.
For Senatla, it’s a deeply personal mission. After a near-fatal car accident two years ago left him with nerve damage, he made an extraordinary comeback thanks to intensive rehabilitation with his strength and conditioning coach, Murray Ingram, founder of Connect Performance.
That recovery journey inspired Senatla to dedicate himself to mentoring the next generation of rugby players through the Connect Academy, where he serves as a board member, mentor and role model.
The two men also worked together last year, when Ingram coached Ghana’s national rugby team and Senatla often acted as his deputy coach and technical advisor, ahead of the All-Africa Games.
“My connection with Murray and the Connect team spans long before the accident and the rehab process. Murray was my personal strength and conditioning practitioner for many years before the accident. I understood what they were about and even served on their board.
“We’ve always fished for opportunities to collaborate as we’re of the same mind and heart. Took us long enough, but we finally found something fitting and are super excited to embark on this journey,” he said.
The tournament will feature a diverse range of over 50 teams and organisations from around the Cape, including hosts Connect NTK. With rugby action, community spirit, and opportunities to meet their heroes, the festival promises to be an unforgettable experience for players and spectators alike.
