Bringing rugby to the masses

The Iquina Rugby Football Club has taken up the challenge of developing rugby in the Johannesburg area.

Since 2003, the members from the club under the banner of Rugga-Kids has made leaps and bounds in bringing rugby to the youth through the Rugga-Kids programme. Since then the programme evolved into starting the Inquina Rugby Football club as a continuation of the original Rugga-Kids programme.

Based in Chartwell, the club’s reach has extended to schools around the Fourways and Bryanston areas.

Walter Minnaar, Owen Nkumane and Malcolm Larsen formed the Iquina Rugby Football Club in 2005, giving young players the opportunity to play and improve at a higher level.

Club manager Thoriso Shihau said, “The basis for forming the club was the lack of playing opportunity for both senior players and players at the local schools in the greater Fourways area.”

In 2010 Inquina became involved with Tsogo Sun for the development of rugby in the Diepsloot area. Due to the challenge of resources that Diepsloot would pose, the decision was made to close down the senior section of the club and focus only on youth rugby.

In recent years Iquina has forged great relationships with a number of schools and organisations who have helped their cause to grow the rugby culture among the youth, with Fourways High School supplying a playing ground for the club. They have also created a winning relationship with the Golden Lions Rugby Union, giving young talented players the chance to compete at a higher level.