2007 Under 20As Reconnect at Club Dinner
The under 20A team of 2007 was a special team, with a number of the players going on to perform well in the Varsity Cup and to attain other rugby achievements locally and overseas.
The scoreboard says it all about the UCT’s U20 A1s 2007 season: 18 wins in 18 games. They chalked up 677 points and conceded only 45. Best of all, they convincingly outplayed their Matie counterparts, winning all four clashes during the season, scoring 130 points and conceding a miserly 26. Not satisfied with dominating at Varsity level, the 2007 Trojans then went onto feature in the curtain raiser for the 2007 Currie Cup clash between Western Province and the Lions, beating the WP Rugby Institute 38 – 3.
Beyond the coming together of some incredibly talented players, fundamental to the success of that 2007 team was the incredible hard work, both on and off the field, of two special Ikey men – John Dobson and John Le Roux – who led the U20 coaching team.
Another shining light from that 2007 season was a talented young Varsity flank, charismatic leader and good friend by the name of Monte Taljaard, who tragically passed away in a car accident the following year. Captaining the Grey College PE first XV in 2005, Monte wasted no time in making his mark at UCT, captaining the 2007 A1’s to an unbeaten season in his first year.
In his memory, every year UCT RFC now play NMMU (Nelson Mandela University) of Port Elizabeth for the Monte Taljaard Trophy. Furthermore, as a chief supporter of the Club’s bursary system, a bursary was also established in his name which brings in talent from less accessible places like the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, that might otherwise have been lost to UCT.
Ikey old boys and girls attending the Club Annual Black Tie Dinner this year included: Mike Morris, Justin Bijl, Kyle Brown, Mike Ledwidge, Kyle Wickens, Marcello Sampson, Tim Whitehead, Wes Chetty, Fallon Hope and John Le Roux; with apologies from the likes of Don Armand and Matt Roslee, who are now based overseas.
