Rugby Kapteins. In ons gewilde reeks oor sport kapteins, gesels Schools That Rock vandag met Ajay Lottering. Ajay is die 1ste rugbyspan kaptein van Hoërskool Die Wilgers in Pretoria, oftewel die White Sharks. Ajay druk vandag die sewentiende drie in ons reeks vanjaar oor Rugby Kapteins van hoërskole in Suid-Afrika.
“Ek het op die ouderdom van drie begin rugby speel. My familie het ‘n ryk rugbygeskiedenis en ek is ‘n persoon wat daarvan hou om in ‘n span te speel. Met my eerste rugby wedstryd was ek opgewonde, baie emosioneel en op my senuwees. Wat ek van my eerste rugby wedstryd onthou, is dat ek die wendrie gedruk deur ‘n aangee op die 22m te onderskep. My spanmaats en afrigters het my in die lug opgetel en almal het gesing.
My beste raad, as Rugby Kaptein, aan beginners is you can have all the talent in the world. It won’t take you anywhere without your teammates,. because rugby is a team sport.
Die posisie wat ek tans speel is flank. Ek het tot in graad 11 senter en vleuel gespeel. Ja, ek is meer as tevrede waar ek as flank speel.
My heel eerste keer wat ek as kaptein gekies was, is toe ek 0/9 was. Toe ek die eerste keer as rugby kaptein op die veld gedraf het, was ek op my senuwees omdat ek bang was ek maak die verkeerde besluite wat ons dalk die wedstryd kan kos.
Motivering
Ek hou my span gemotiveerd deur, wanneer daar ‘n kans is, ek ‘n kring met die ouens kan maak, en dan praat ek met hulle. Ek motiveer hulle ook graag om ons koppe omhoog te hou en saam te trek – want die eindfluitjie het nog nie geblaas nie.
‘n Goeie rugbyspeler, glo ek, moet beskik oor sportmangees, vertroue en lojaliteit. Hierdie is die drie sterkste eienskappe. My sleutel tot sukses op die rugbyveld is om die man wat saam met my speel te vertrou – “trust the inside man”.
My pa speel ‘n groot rol om my te inspireer voor ‘n wedstryd, maar my “coach” het ook ‘n groot impak op my inspirasie voor elke wedstryd.
Ons Noordvaal finaal wedstryd verlede jaar teen Hoërskool Vryburg, was my lekkerste wedstryd ooit omdat ons geskiedenis gemaak het. Ons eerstespan het weer, na elf jaar in ons skool se geskiedenis, in die Noordvaal finaal gespeel. So ook was ons die eerste span wat in die Noordvaal gelykop gespeel het. Die wedstryd wat ek nie wil onthou nie was teen Grey College van Bloemfontein want ons was ongelukkig nie die beste span op die veld nie.
Die beste rugby-besluite wat ek, as rugby kaptein, geneem het is om aan te lê pale toe – om altyd die eerste punte op die telbord te kan kry.
As Rugby kaptein sal ek sal altyd, wanneer ek ‘n moeilike wedstryd gehad het, by “coach” Emwee Arlow en “coach” Juan Jansen aanklop vir raad. Sodoende help dit my om my spel te verbeter.
Rugbyheld
My grootste rugbyheld is Tom Curry, Engelse Rugby-unie speler. Hy hou nooit op met speel nie al het hy ook seergekry. Hy sal deurdruk tot die einde van die wedstryd.
My persoonlike rugby-doelwitte wat ek graag wil bereik is om ‘n kontrak by ‘n rugby-unie te kry. Dan ook om hierdie jaar die Blou Bulle Stadsbeker en die Noordvaalbeker te wen.
Ja, ek beoog om ná skool aan te hou rugby speel. Ek wil baie graag professioneel rugby speel.
My grootste enkele hoogtepunt van my rugbyloopbaan tot dusver was om deel te wees van die Harlequins Rugbyklub se 0/19-span wat teen Cardiff Wallis se 0/19-span gespeel het.
Die professionele rugbyspeler met wie ek graag koffie drink is die All Black, Richie McCaw.
Ek sal myself in een woord beskryf as Passievol.”
Rugby Captains
In our popular series about sports captains, Schools That Rock talks to Ajay Lottering today. Ajay is the 1st rugby team captain of Die Wilgers High School in Pretoria, or the White Sharks. Today Petrie is scoring the seventeenth try in our series this year on Rugby Captains of high schools in South Africa.
“I started playing rugby at the age of three. My family has a rich rugby history, and I am also a person who loves to play in a team. With my first game of rugby, I was excited, very emotional, and nervous. What I remember about my first game of rugby is that I scored a try by intercepting a pass on the 22m. My teammates and coaches picked me up in the air and everyone sang.
My best advice to beginners is that you can have all the talent in the world. It won’t take you anywhere without your teammates, because rugby is a team sport.
The position I’m currently playing is flanker. I played centre and wing as well in grade 11. Yes, I’m more than satisfied where I play as a flanker.
My very first time being selected as captain is when I was U9. When I first jogged onto the pitch as rugby captain, I was on my nerves because I was afraid, I would make the wrong decisions that might cost us the game.
Motivation
I keep my team motivated by, when there’s a chance, I can make a circle with the guys, and then I talk to them. I also like to motivate them to hold our heads up and pull them together – because the final whistle hasn’t blown yet.
A good rugby player, I believe, should have sportsmanship, trust, and loyalty. These are the three strongest qualities. My key to success on the rugby field is to trust the man who plays with me – “trust the inside man”.
Our Noordvaal final game last year against Vryburg High School was my most enjoyable game ever because we made history. Our first team played again, after eleven years in our school’s history, in the Noordvaal final. We were also the first team to draw in the Noordvaal. The game I don’t want to remember was against Grey College from Bloemfontein, because unfortunately we weren’t the best team on the field.
The best rugby decisions I’ve made are to score – to always be able to get the first points on the scoreboard.
I will always, whenever I’ve had a tough match, turn to coach Emwee Arlow and coach Juan Jansen for advice. In doing so, it helps me improve my game.
Rugby hero
My biggest rugby hero is Tom Curry, English rugby union player. He never stops playing even though he’s hurt too. He will push through until the end of the game.
My personal rugby goals that I would like to achieve are to get a contract with a rugby union. Then also to win the Blue Bulls City Cup and the Noordvaal Cup this year.
Yes, I intend to continue playing rugby after school. I really want to play rugby professionally.
My biggest single highlight of my rugby career so far has been being part of the Harlequins Rugby Club’s U19 team playing against Cardiff Wales’ U19 team.
The professional rugby player I’d love to have coffee with is the All Black, Richie McCaw.
I would describe myself in one word as Passionate.”
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