Johannesburg - The Spur Soccer Masidlale Programme concluded after 17 weeks instilling essential life skills into young lives and reaching more than 30 000 children within historically disadvantaged areas since its inception in 2005.

Bellavista Creche, an NPO located in Bellavista East was the charity who won the R10 000 prize yesterday at the finals played in Soweto.

What started out as 12 one-day soccer clinics involving 10-12 year olds, has grown into a fully-fledged annual soccer league in the main metropolitan areas of Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth.

One of Spur’s corporate social investment aims is to use sport to uplift communities. The central venues are selected in historically disadvantaged areas where school sport participation is low. The Masidlale Programme fills this gap.

Each one of the cities had 200 players (100 girls and 100 boys) taking part who come from 10 local schools. The teams are given Spur-branded soccer kits which they can keep. Primary schools that have participated per region were as follows:

Kwa-Zulu Natal

• Zandile
• Emthetweni
• Inkonkoni
• Zwelesithembiso
• Thamela
• Isipingo
• Lindelani
• Mzwilili
• Fundakakhle
• Phila

Winning schools were Zandile (boys) and Inkonkoni (girls).

Port Elizabeth

• Enkwenkwezini
• Elundini
• Dumani
• Elufefeni
• Fumisikoma
• Melisizwe
• Zanoxolo
• Ikhwezelihle
• Mpumalanga
• Siyaphambili

Winning schools were Enkwenkweni (boys) and Elufefeni (girls).

Cape Town

• Lwazi
• Luzuko
• Lehlohonolo
• Ilitha
• Mseki
• Vukukhanya
• Sokhanyo
• Sonwabo
• Vuyane
• Xolani

Winning schools were Sonwabo (boys) and Lwazi (girls).

Johannesburg

• JB Marks
• Julius Sebolayi
• Bonamelo
• Braamfischer
• Nkoni Maruping
• Obed Mosiane
• Moses Kotane
• Mayibuye 
• Khulanolwazi
• Kid Maponya

Winning schools were Julius Sebolai (boys) and Obed Mosiane (girls).

According to Khakhi Diala, Brand Activation Manager of the Spur Group, sport teaches us more than just physical skills; sport is a metaphor for life. That is why Spur has included a life skills programme to run alongside the soccer league.

“Spur Steak Ranches is again proud to have completed a very successful Spur Soccer Masidlale program for the 11th Year now, 800 boys and girls from four provinces duly benefited from the skills development and life skills elements that they went through” We are also proud to have donated R10 000 to a needy charity”, added Khakhi.

Fifty mentors per league met with their groups every two weeks to explore essential skills needed to excel in life. The mentors teach self-esteem, positive behaviour changes and wise decision making. They equip the children beyond the sports field into home and school life. 20 girls and 20 boys are then chosen for further mentoring.

The main prize for the winning team is that they become mascots at PSL games.

To ensure the lessons go further into the schools, Spur has a Masidlale Coaching Programme for the school coaches. These are run by accredited coaching facilitators who train 30 coaches from four provinces.

Interactive Sport is involved with the mentoring programme which extends to the coaches and one teacher per school.

Masidlale means “let’s play” in Xhosa. So the programme’s aim is to change lives through play.

For more information about Spur, feel free to visit their website http://www.spur.co.za/

Cape Town, South Africa – On Saturday, 7 May 2016, the Western Province Rugby Football Union (WPRFU) and Spur will handover almost 4 000 rugby jerseys to schools signed under the union’s rugby structure. The event will take place at the Bellville Technical High School.  

This mini rugby day, billed as one of the biggest events at school level in Western Province Rugby, will also be attended by DHL Stormers stars Nizaam Carr, Jean Kleyn, Leolin Zas, Wilco Louw, Brandon Thomson, Jean-Luc du Plessis, EW Viljoen, David Ribbans and Kurt Coleman. These young rugby stalwarts will mingle with the children and parents and will be available for signature sessions and photo opportunities during the day.    

The union will welcome 318 teams from 93 different schools with matches set to start at 08:00 and conclude by 14:00.  

Over the last few years this event has grown significantly and has seen the start of many successful careers of rugby players that have gone on to wear the famous blue and white DHL Western Province hoops. “Spur Steak Ranches is proud to present our future rugby champions with the platform to enjoy sports and hone their skills through the enjoyable game of mini rugby”, said Khakhi Diala, Brand Activation Manager of the Spur Group. Spur is the majority sponsor of the mini rugby day.  

“We are very thankful to Spur for supporting this worthy initiative to introduce young people to rugby and grow the game. Spur has been our partner in this day since 2009, so we value their support and look forward to another successful Mini Rugby Day”, said Thelo Wakefield, President of the Western Rugby Football Union. This event is part of WPRFU’s effort to make the game of rugby accessible to all young South Africans living in the region.  

Entry fees: R10 per adult and R10 per vehicle, with children under 12 allowed in for free. The above mentioned DHL Stormers players will be available for a signature and photo session from 10:00 to 11:00. 

Western Province Rugby Football Union For more information about the Western Province Rugby Football Union, feel free to visit their website (http://wprugby.com/).    

Spur For more information about Spur, feel free to visit their website (http://www.spur.co.za/).