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Published: August 19th 2006
Africa! The very name conjures up images of lions, elephants, jungle, drums, Tarzan and many others. The opportunity to travel to this part of the world to not only experience these first hand but also play Aussie Rules was too good to miss.
The Convicts tour was a great chance to be a unique part of history as it marked the first time an Australian team would play a match of Australian football against an African team in Africa.
After arriving in Johannesburg we boarded our air-conditioned coach, complete with tour guide and driver, we had hired for the trip. It made life much easier in terms of getting around, and we quickly discovered that our tour guide was a fountain of knowledge regarding the Boer War.
Our first night was spent in the safe district of Sandton before transferring to Potchefstroom, where we stayed in the same hotel as the Australian cricket team during the 2003 Cricket World Cup.
Our first match was against Gauteng Province at Mohadin Cricket Stadium, just outside Potch. It was great to see that, unlike rugby and soccer, the team was made up of both black and Afrikaans players. The rugby
Coach Millane
Sean Millane, our coachboys are still learning the game, but their enthusiasm and willingness to learn could not be faulted.
The University of Potchefstroom had just started its academic year and so we headed out on the town to celebrate our win and make some new friends. It was a great night and one that none of us will ever forget.
Our second game against the North West Province was played at the University of North West in Mafikeng. Most of their players had represented South Africa at the International Cup in Melbourne and it was a hard fought win. The pleasant 35 degree heat was equally appreciated by all players and officials, and there was no doubt that football and our hotel bar was the winner.
Whilst in Mafikeng we were fortunate to experience the twin delights of the Cultural Village and the fascinating Museum, with its detailed information on the Boer War.
Next stop on the itinerary was the incredible Sun City. The Valley of the Waves and the game drive and BBQ in Pilanesburg Game Reserve were the undoubted highlights.
We could easily have spent a lot more time in Sun City but there was
Lion cub
Cute, but they sure did smell! another match to play. We headed back to Johannesburg via Pretoria, stopping off at the Voortrekker Monument to receive another lecture on the Boer War. We all slept well that night.
Our third and final match was against South Africa's national team, the Buffaloes, at Eldorado Park Athletic Stadium in the famous township of Soweto. Earlier in the day we had visited Nelson Mandela’s house and other memorials to the struggle against apartheid, which were both interesting and moving. Inspired by this and fuelled by a pre-match meal of Chicken Licken, the Convicts scored another hard fought win.
The matches over, it was time to relax a bit and we spent the next three nights at Hippo Hollow in Kruger National Park. We were fortunate enough to see lions, elephants, giraffes, rhino, buffalo, hippo, crocodiles, zebras, monkeys, plus one or two impala as well.
One of the highlights of the tour was the opportunity to conduct coaching clinics in Potchefstroom, Itsoseng and Ramatlabama. The enthusiasm on the faces of the South African kids was great to see and there is no doubt that our great game has an enormous future there.
A big thank you to
Steve Harrison from AFL South Africa for all his assistance in making the trip such a huge success. The Convicts look forward to returning to this amazing country in the future.
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