Enders in action with Dallen Stanford at Newlands, the home of WP UCT Rugby
Whatever happened to Enders, James Endersby a club man of note. Enders a light to medium weight lock, played for various Ikey sides and managed the Internal League for two years.  His claim to fame is a cap for Australia – you better believe it – and making pocket rocket Brent Russel look good at touch rugby.


Played at varsity when, what positions and for what teams:
I played at UCT from 2000 to 2004. Captained the 21B’s in 2001 and then played internal league and had the odd appearance for some of the open teams. Played Internal league for the Clarendon Knights and The Two Dogs… Pretty much the fastest lock in world rugby, but I’ve obviously slowed down since… I ran the Internal league in 2003 & 2004.

Where are you now and what are you doing :
After winning the Kenton Touch Tournament in 2005 with Andrew Foster (Stellies), the Pocket Rocket and his Brother Andy Russell (Stellies) who gifted me 3 tries, I moved to London and turned out for my old club. Lived in India for a year where I ended up being tricked into playing for an ex-pat Australian team, which went down as an official cap according the Indian Rugby Union. We drew 9-all which gives some indication of the standard… not great. But damn fun. Especially playing in 47 degree heat. I’m now back in London and treasurer of my rugby club. I work in the market research consulting sphere.

Best thing about UCT rugby:
Lifelong friendships, unbelievable spirit, internal league, the pub, the fact that we were better than that Villagers lot, and a whole bunch of other stuff.

Best varsity rugby memory:
My greatest varsity rugby memory is actually watching the 1sts win intervarsity at Stellies and then witnessing Simon Barlow hijack one of the Putco Buses that brought us to the game… That day was also particularly memorable because we travelled to the game with about 20 Ancient Ikey Old Boys, some even ex-Springbok and England captains. One particular old chap who must have been 102, we labeled ‘Blue’ from ‘Old School’ and we took him everywhere we went. He was a huge hit with the 1st year girls.
But I’ll never forget beating Villagers in the pounding rain up at UCT, or thumping Hamiltons away in the last game of the season to move from 5th to 2nd on the log. What about winning the internal league with the Two Dogs, also in the pounding rain. The cane-and-coke tasted so sweet out of that dirty old trophy.


Enders handing out the Internal League personality of the season award and R20 000 prize money – to himself! 

Any guys you are still in touch with:
I am regularly in touch with some of my old mates from UCT Rugby. Kurt Tyack was living out in Paris and playing some club rugby, which is apparently basically like an 80 minute boxing match. I see Dallen Stanford now and again on his Sevens circuit. Brento (Brent Russel) was over here with Sarries, but is now over in France. Rich Schroder still coaches at UCT. Danny Palm has gone back to Cape Town, he got a few Oxford Blues. Snoops (Stephen Knoop) is out in Dublin with Leinster. Tim Partridge, Ryan Henshaw, John Turner, Nick de Kock and Shaun Coops are over here in London… John Turner and Nick de Kock were actually the founding members of the London South Africa RFC.
It’s always great to see familiar club faces pop up all over the place. For instance, and bizarrely, I always see Alan from Hiddng Hall in European Airports … which is rather humorous… (Alan if you read this, i’ll be in Schipol next week…)

Do you follow the UCT Ikey Tigers and the Club:
I get regular updates from Rich Schroder and my old man was a Hidding Hall Player back in the day and he still tracks the first results and sends me updates…

People I miss :
I mainly miss the enthusiasm of the students. You know those familiar faces that you can’t quite put names to. The ones clutching warm cans of amstel and trawling up and down the touchline in support of the Ikeys. Every year the faces change, but they’re always there. I think that’s what makes being involved with UCT Rugby so great. The club will always have a youthful edge. I also miss those Wednesday nights of Internal League. 9 or 10 games of rugby to either play in or watch in one evening… its a dream! I also miss the Saturday nights after big games… most of us still in our blue shirts and chino’s, beer in each hand, the old-green-man… you know the rest…

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Let’s have your story.

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