Developing Grassroots Rugby

THE LEGENDS CUP 2010

The Legends Cup is an annual grasroots rugby development tournament hosted in the greater Cape Town area. Commencing in 2009 and targeting teenage boys from previously disadvantaged communities, the Legends Cup aims to instill a love for sport, discipline, fair play and team work through rubgy. The MSP Legends Cup is played each year from March to July and is structured into the Vuka phase in which 1700 kids in 80 schools/teams compete for entry into the Mega 10 phase of the tournament. At the end of the tournament a Legends Cup Gazelles team is selected.

 
The MSP Legends Cup is a partnership between the SA Rugby Legends Association, Department of Sports & Culture, SARU, Western Province Rugby Football Union (WPRFU), Department of Education, UCT RFC, Vulindlela, Boksmart and Ubumbo.  It is also endorsed at the highest level by SA Rugby.

Visit the www.legendscup.co.za website – click here

In 2009, The Legends Cup touched the lives of an estimated 64 000 children through its 3 phases:
• Coaching the Coaches Phase:
o Coaching courses presented to coaches by WPRFU;
o Level 1 IRB coaching course.

• Vuka Phase (which means “awakening”):
o 64 schools competed in 8 zones – 1600 children;
o Each team had a coach;
o Matches played every Tuesday/ Wednesday

• Mega 8 Phase:
o A combined side from each of  the VUKA zones competed in Mega 8
o The Coach is selected from 8 school coaches in the zone
o Games played on Saturdays
o Venues move around to take sport (rugby) to each area
o Played for the Legends Cup
o Final at Newlands Rugby ground – a childhood dream for any rugby playing learner
o A combined side, The Legends Cup Gazelles, was selected after the final to play the RDP side to gauge improvements.
o It aimed to establish rugby-playing and prepare these kids for potential future stardom in the sport, taking them off the streets and away from gangs and drugs.

Where other development programmes too often turn out to be public relations exercises for sponsors, the Legends Cup is the first and foremost to be sustainable by having the event running for the entire season.

The 2010 MSP Legends Cup programme will be similar to the 2009 format, which is split into 3 phases:

• Pre – Season Phase (February and March):
o IRB – accredited Level 1 coaching course
o WPRFU – accredited refereeing course
o BOKSMART – Rugby Safety Workshops for participating coaches and referees
o BOKSMART – certified Rugby Medic/Rugby First Aid course

• Vuka Tournament (March to Oct):
o 80 schools competing in 10 zones – 2 000 children
o U15 games will be played on the same days with the 2009 VUKA kit, so the actual reach will be to 4 000 children
o Each team has a coach
o Each team in VUKA will receive kit (jersey/shorts/socks) for the playing squad of 22 players
o Matches played every Tuesday/Wednesday
o Playing for 10 trophies, 1 per zone.

• Mega 10 Tournament (June to September):
o A combined side from each zone competes in Mega 10
o Coach selected from 10 school coaches in zone
o Games played on Saturdays at City Park Rugby Grounds
o Each team in Mega 10 will receive kit (jersey/shorts/socks) for the selected squad of 29 players and a coach (Player 23)
o All games played at one venue on that Saturday
o Venues move around to take sport (rugby) to each area
o Playing for the MSP Legends Cup;
o Playing to play final at Newlands Rugby ground – a childhood dream for any rugby playing learner
o A combined side, The MSP Legends Cup side is selected after the final plays RDP side to gauge improvements.

The following areas are included in the Legends Cup:
• Mitchells Plain – East    -    MEGA 8 Team = Stallions (2009 – JDI)
• Mitchells Plain – West    -    MEGA 8 Team = Gladiators (2009 – Veritas Wealth)
• Southern Suburbs    -    MEGA 8 Team = Mustangs (2009 – Office National)
• Khayelitsha North    -    MEGA 8 Team = Crusaders (2009 – Vulindlela)
• Khayelitsha South    -    MEGA 8 Team = Hungry Lions ( 2009 – Santam)
• Phillipi/Crossroads    -    MEGA 8 Team = Predators ( 2009 – Deloitte)
• Manenberg/Bonteheuwel    -    MEGA 8 Team = Cape Storms (2009 – I&J)
• Langa/Athlone    -    MEGA 8 Team = Hurricanes (2009 – Trellicor)
• Delft/Blue Downs/Mfuleni        Proposed new area
• Ravensmead/Elsies River        Proposed new area

The 2010 MSP Legends Cup Sponsors are: