People opened their hearts to the rugby boys of Vanrhynsdorp High School. (Photo: John Reyneke)
“My challenge and cry for help: Please ask your rugby boys for their old, broken tox. The boys will glue it and insulation tape fix for each game. Nothing is no longer useful here. Anything can be reused…
“But the drawers love rugby; boys who only live for rugby. Everywhere you see them: from five years old to 19 years old touches play – with tennis balls, other soft balls and even with a piece of shoe. Anything, as long as they can him pass and catch.”
This was the message – a plea that John Reyneke, the newly appointed head of Vanrhynsdorp High School, sent to some good friends, former colleagues and fellow sports coaches.
And then it rained heavily on Vanrhynsdorp on the West Coast.
Reyneke says he sent the messages about the great need after an evening’s rugby practice when some players from the o. 15-team that he coaches came to report with stickers in the scrum. He still doesn’t know who shared his original message, or how it ended up on social media, but rugby equipment for the school started pouring in from everywhere.
First nine pairs of rugby boots from the Free State. Then more tox. Brand new, previously used, any size. After this came the sweaters. Balls. Socks. More rugby boots.
“It exploded – but for the better. So many incredibly beautiful things came out of the messages,” says Reyneke this past week.
A few of the young men show off their rugby boots. (Photo: John Reyneke)
He received calls from rugby unions, from businessmen, the former Springbok Kobus Wiese, from charity groups, churches, other schools, ordinary South Africans. Everyone helped.
“It’s unbelievable. You can hardly describe the care of the people and the sending of equipment and support. It was scary how many people got involved.
“If someone tells me again that there is no Father… There are so many good people here and in the last week and a half I realized again what an amazing country we live in and what a privilege it is. The care and the sincere reaching out of people created so much hope,” he says.
“All over South Africa people got involved. I have more hope than I have had in my life for this country.”
Benefactors also donated everything from rugby balls to diving bags and socks. (Photo: John Reyneke)
At Hoërskool Vanrhynsdorp, the rugby men are now properly equipped and Reyneke says they will share all extra donations with Hoërskool Nuwerus in the neighboring town, as well as with community clubs where exactly the same need for equipment is encountered.
Along with the rugby supplies, donations for the netball girls also started to arrive, although not yet as much as for rugby. Among the girls, however, there is just as great a need, says Reyneke. They need used netball balls, buffies, sneakers, cones. Every bit helps.
The rugby and netball leagues start after the holidays, but getting all the teams to another match town is also another story, says Reyneke.
The school’s 1982 Mercedes bus isn’t going to break any land speed records, but at least it comes out the other side. The problem is there is only room for 61 passengers, and if that blue bus is full, someone often has to stay home and miss a game.
The school hopes to also acquire another vehicle so that there is room for all learners to get to their activities. (Photo: Provided)
“We can only transport so many children and sometimes matches have to be canceled because not everyone has transport. The taxis are just too expensive for most people.
“It is not right that children cannot participate in a sport because there is no transport or a lack of money for transport.
“I know, somewhere we are going to make a plan to get an extra vehicle. This is my dream; so that the children participate where and as children should. It’s about the children – to give them the same opportunity as other children.”
Out of the box! Brand new rugby boots for the spirited young men. (Photo: John Reyneke)
Vanrhynsdorp High School, with its short head less than 600 learners from gr. R to gr. 12 (and a residence),’s academy does not return any money either. The school’s pass rate has averaged 93% over the past five years and they are annually among the top schools in the West Coast district.
Less than 15% of the school’s learners can contribute the full school fees, but Reyneke is a man with many plans. He will only officially take over the reins as the new school principal in April, but in the meantime he has already signed up for work in the classroom.
Next on his to-do list are fans or air conditioning for the classrooms in a town where the mercury rises above 40˚C; curtains for the hall’s stage; umbrellas and gazebos for outdoor events, a new surface for the netball courts and maybe a coat of paint or two for the school.
