#TuksRugby: Rhinos need to beat Aussies to create awareness for rugby league in SA

Posted on October 25, 2018

Beat the Australian Universities Rugby League Team and get to brag about it is the challenge that Rhinos Under-23 team will face on Saturday at Tuine Rugby Club.

Dwayne Botma who is captaining the Rhinos admits that it is not going to be easy. The Aussies are after all the University World Champions, but then again he is a firm believer that no game is ever lost or won until the final whistle blows.

“Everyone remembers when you win, but unfortunately the opposite is also true. Nobody cares about a losing team. As far as I am concerned it is high time that we start winning. There is no other way to create awareness for rugby league in South Africa,” explained Botma who is also regularly playing for UP-Tuks

On Monday in Cape Town, the Australian team has beaten a Western Cape Invitational team quite convincingly. According to Botma, they took note of the result. 

“We spoke to some of the Invitational team’s players afterwards. They admit being caught off guard by the Aussies but are also of the opinion that the score was not a true reflection. They made some elementary mistakes on which the visitors capitalised.”

Botma used to be quite a good rugby player. When younger he played for the Pumas under-20 team, but rugby league has been his passion since he was 15 years old. It is the pace at which the game is played that gets his adrenaline pumping.

“Because there are four players less on the field in a league game than there is in a rugby match we got more space and time to set up moves. There is no comparison being tackled in a league game to what happens in rugby. You do really take shots when tackled in as often you get three players taking you down. Two go for the upper body while the other ‘chops’ your legs out from underneath you. Given in rugby being in the midst of a maul means that your body is taking a real beating. We don’t have mauls in rugby league.”

Apart from Botma, the other UP-Tuks players who will be in action for the Rhinos on Saturday are Esje Esterhuyse, Codi Meyers, Andries Theunissen, Marnus Coetzee, Dylan Andrews, Ben van der Merwe, Lebogang Matlou, Altus Delport, Franco van Deventer, Reunen Esterhuyse and Damian Diedericks.

The Australian University-side is a combined team from the Queensland and New South Wales Universities.

Kickoff on Saturday is at 16:00. The two teams will clash on Monday again.

 

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