The Eastern Province Coastal Touchies Association (EPCTA) hosted a tremendously successful Beach Sports Tournament at Jeffreys Bay Main Beach on April 10, with an astounding 445 participants – a record number in the various sporting codes.
According to Razaan Ogle, communication and marketing manager of EPCTA, touch rugby included a remarkable 17 teams and 136 players, including senior and junior teams for both the boys’ and girls’ categories.
She further said that at least 22 teams had entered the soccer competition, with an overall 178 participants in the senior and junior teams.
Ogle said that there were a whopping 11 teams and 44 players in basketball, and a total of 48 boys and girls competed in the perennially popular lifeguard games, while the fun run had 39 entries.
“This exemplifies the Kouga region’s intense passion for youth sport participation and its stratospheric expansion,” said Ogle.
“We would like to thank all our young competitors for enduring the inclement weather and helping to make this competition an immense success.”
The team, and individual, winners of each sporting code included, JBay Toulouse (touch rugby senior division – 17 years +), Hotsteper (touch rugby junior division – u/16), Hotspurs (soccer senior division), Lighthouse FC (soccer junior division), Wood Rats (basketball), Nadelean Leeuskieter (girls division – lifeguard games), Timothy Pietersen (boys division – lifeguard games), Lee Burn Solomons (boys division – fun run) and Raeza Van Wyk (girls division – fun run).
Ogle said that the presence of the independent touch rugby selection committee at the sports tournament on April 10 deemed phase one of the national touch rugby trial selection as successful.
She said that the committee would be responsible for identifying and selecting formidable players to represent the Eastern Province.
Ogle said that phases two, three, and four of the trial selection would each feature a different member of the selection committee and no member of the selection panel would be present at more than one phase.
“Upon completion of the trial phases, the unbiased selection committee will evaluate all candidates and select players who will be awarded full Eastern Province colours, by the Eastern Province Rugby Union (EPRU) to represent the Eastern Province in the forthcoming tour,” said Ogle.
Ogle said that in due course, more details about the other phases of the trial selection would be made public.
Ogle said that they would like to express their gratitude, and to thank their key partners which included Kouga Local Municipality, Score, the NSRI Jeffreys Bay, the Kouga Youth Athletics Club, Kouga Mini Soccer, and the independent Touch Rugby selection committee.
In addition, she said that those who donated prizes include Wacky Water Park, Dolphin Beach Entertainment (Supertubes), and Debonairs Pizza.
For more information, or to get involved with the association, visit the Eastern Province Coastal Touchies Association’s website at https://epcoastaltouchies.co.za, the Coastal Touchies Facebook page, or email info@epcoastaltouchies.co.za.
– ISSUED BY EASTERN PROVINCE COASTAL TOUCHIES ASSOCIATION
