Steval Pumas School Ambassador Programme 2017

Mbombela – Last year, in an attempt to grow stadium attendance at home games the Steval Pumas started an informal arrangement with the local schools to put their banners up a week before each home game in a visible place where parents drop and collect kids.

This initiative appeared to work really well as it gave the union added exposure and visibility. This year the program has been formalised by asking each school to select an ideal candidate to officially put up their banners and be a Steval Pumas Ambassador.

Pieter Burger, CEO of Mpumalanga Rugby is extremely excited about the initiative and said the team wishes to get more involved in the community and create everlasting memories.

“The program not only aims at engaging bright future young talent, but also serves as a reminder to the community to support their local sporting heroes. We have a responsibility to the people to be a team that they are proud to support, on and off the field, and we take that responsibility very serious. The lovely people of the province and city in return has rugby’s future in the province in their hands,” said Burger.

“Whether you are in grade one and adore Pumaki, in grade 12 supporting your favourite player, or a mother and father taking the kids out for a day of fun at Mbombela stadium, your support and the memories we create together will determine the future of the sport in the region. We want to thank all the schools, staff, parents and supporters from the bottom of our hearts. Without you, nothing would be possible.’’

In return for the learners’ commitment, the Steval Pumas School Ambassador will receive five tickets to each home game, plus a specially designed, limited edition Steval Pumas School Ambassador game day shirt, the prestigious title of being a Steval Pumas School Ambassador and the opportunity to assist the team with community and charity events.

Also, one lucky ambassador will get the opportunity to run on the field with the ball before kick-off at their next home game. This incentive will continue through to the Currie Cup Premier Division where the Steval Pumas first home game will be on the 23^rd of July against the Xerox Golden Lions.

Marius Coetzee, the Steval Pumas School Ambassador in Laerskool Bergland said he is very proud to have been chosen for this project.

“I love rugby and all activities associated with it and this is truly an awesome opportunity. I really hope they pick my name to run on the field with the provincial team,” said Coetzee.

Showing his expertise in the game of rugby, Coetzee who plays in his school’s first rugby team gave the following reasons for why the Steval Pumas is such a great team:

“They really play the ball and keep the ball in the air. This is important and shows that the team is focused.”

The participating schools so far are:

• Hoërskool Bergvlam
• Curro Nelspruit
• Penryn College
• Hoërskool Nelspruit
• Nelspruit Primary School
• Laerskool Bergland
• Laerskool Laeveld
• Lowveld High School
• Laerskool Nelspruit
• White River Primary

Be sure to keep an eye out on Steval Pumas social media platforms such as Facebook for pictures of these school’s ambassadors and support Mpumalanga’s golden boys. The banners for our first home game in the Premier Currie Cup go up in the 2^nd week of July in preparation for when the Steval Pumas take on the Xerox Golden Lions at the Mbombela Stadium on Sunday, 23 July. Kick-off is at 14:30.

Die Steval Pumas Skoolambassadeurs is hier 2017

In ‘n poging om bywoning van Steval Pumas tuiswedstryde aan te moedig, het die span ‘n informele ooreenkoms aangegaan met verskeie plaaslike skole in die Laeveld. Die ooreenkoms behels dat die rugbyspan se banniere ‘n week voor enige tuiswedstryde by skole opgesit word op ‘n plek waar dit die meeste aandag sal geniet van ouers wat hul kinders by die skool kom optel ensovoorts.

Die inisiatief was tot dusver uiters suksesvol en het gelei tot addisionele blootselling vir die rugby-unie. Vanjaar is die reëling egter geformaliseer en is elke deelnemende skool gevra om ‘n leerling te identifiseer om ‘n Steval Pumas Skoolambassadeur te wees en die span se banniere op te sit.

Pieter Burger, hoof van Mpumalanga Rugby is baie opgewonde oor die inisiatief en het gesê dit is belangrik vir die span om meer betrokke te raak by die gemeenskap en om ewige herinneringe te skep.

“Die doel van die projek is nie net om betrokke te raak by talentvolle en toekomende spelers nie, maar dien ook as ‘n herinnering aan die gemeenskap om die plaaslike rugbyhelde te ondersteun. Ons het ‘n verantwoordelikheid om ‘n span te wees wie almal trots kan wees om te ondersteun, beide op en af van die veld en ons is baie ernstig oor hierdie taak. Die lieflike mense van die provinsie en stad hou weer die toekoms van rugby in hul hande,” het Burger gesê.

“Of jy nou in Graad 1 is en opsien na die Pumaki, in Graad 12 is en jou gunsteling speler ondersteun of ‘n ma en pa is wie hul kinders na die Mbombela-stadion neem vir gesinsdag. Dit is jou ondersteuning en die tyd wat saam spandeer word, wat die toekoms van die streekssport bepaal. Ons wil hartlik dankie sê aan alle skole, personeel, ouers en ondersteuners. Sonder julle, sou niks moontlik gewees het nie.”

Op hul beurt, sal die toegewyde Steval Pumas Skoolambassadeurs vyf kaartjies vir elke tuiswedstryd ontvang, ‘n ontwerpers-Steval Pumas Skoolambassadeur wedstryd t-hemp. Asook die gesogte titel van ‘n Steval Pumas Skoolambassadeur en die geleentheid om die span by te staan met gemeenskaps- en liefdadigheidsgeleenthede.

Een gelukkige ambassadeur sal selfs die geleentheid kry om saam met die span op die veld te draf tydens tuiswedstryde, met die bal in die hand. Die inisiatief sal voortduur tydens die 2017 Currie Beker Premier Liga. Die eerste wedstryd sal plaasvind op 23 Julie wanneer die Steval Pumas te stane kom teen die Xerox Golden Lions by die Mbombela-stadion.

Marius Coetzee, die Steval Pumas Skoolambassadeur vir Laerskool Bergland het gesê hy is baie trots om betrokke te wees by hierdie projek.

“Ek is mal oor rugby en alle aktiwiteite wat gepaard gaan met dit. Hierdie is werklik ‘n besonderse geleentheid. Ek hoop regtig hul kies my om op die veld te draf saam met die provinsiale span,” het Coetzee gesê.

Om te wys hy weet waarvan hy praat, het Coetzee, wie vir sy skool se eerste rugbyspan speel, die volgende redes gegee hoekom hy dink die Steval Pumas is ‘n uitmuntende span:

“Hul speel slim en speel nie vas nie. Hul laat die bal beweeg. Dit is baie belangrik en wys dat die span gefokus is.”

Die volgende skole neem deel aan die inisiatief:

• Hoërskool Bergvlam
• Curro Nelspruit
• Penryn College
• Hoërskool Nelspruit
• Nelspruit Primary School
• Laerskool Bergland
• Laerskool Laeveld
• Lowveld High School
• Laerskool Nelspruit
• White River Primary

Hou gerus die Steval Pumas se sosiale platforme soos Facebook dop vir meer inligting rakende die Skoolambassadeursprojek en ondersteun die plaaslike helde.

Die banniere vir die eerste tuiswedstryd sal reeds in volgende week by die deelnemende skole sigbaar wees. Dit is ter voorbereiding vir die wedstryd teen die Xerox Golden Lions by die Mbombela-stadion op Sondag, 23 Julie. Afskop is om 14:30.