By MATTHEW PETERSEN Carlos Katywa is leaving the Rhodes sports admin team and taking his talents to Kenya. He will be joining one of their franchise sides, Kabras Rugby Club, as an assistant coach in the hopes of bolstering his career. A man from humble beginnings. Carlos was born in Umtata and currently resides in Gqeberha with his mother, brother, and sister. He played plenty of team sports during his schooling at Graeme College, including tennis, cricket, and athletics. However, it was rugby that was always his first love. He amassed over 50 caps…
Author: Matthew Petersen
By MATTHEW PETERSEN What initially started as a journey of exercising, getting fit, and achieving weight-loss, reached a point where four members of “Fun and Health with Mo” took their talents to Cape Town to compete in the 42.2km Cape Town Marathon. Mo started Fun and Health with Mo in 2019, designed for helping himself and others to lose weight. They primarily ran and included things such as boot camps too to help improve their fitness. The group tried to help each other as best as possible by motivating and pushing each other to continue their respective fitness journeys. Slowly…
By MATTHEW PETERSEN Another round of fixtures in the Grahamstown Cricket Board (GCB) took place this weekend. Rhodes’ first cricket team was involved in an exciting double-header, with both games taking place at Prospect Field. On Saturday, they faced off against Makana Sona. Rhodes batted first, and their innings got off to a poor start before the game started as they could only field ten players. They got off to a slow start, and they failed to get any partnerships going. Garwin Dampies scored an impressive 64 runs at the top of the innings, but he did not have anyone…
By MATTHEW PETERSEN Last Sunday afternoon, the dramatic clash of blue and white in the springtime sky provided the backdrop for a Grahamstown Cricket Board (GCB) league match between the Rhodes first team and Willows Cricket Club. Having played on Saturday afternoon against Makana Sona, Rhodes searched for a win with spots available in the squad for the University of Sports South Africa (USSA). Willows batted first and started comfortably. An injury to Lelethu Cekiso hampered the Rhodes team. He bowled well at the start of the innings but was forced to miss the remainder of the game. Willows scored…
By MATTHEW PETERSEN Despite gloomy conditions and the occasional drizzle falling on Sunday afternoon, the Grahamstown Cricket Board (CGB) continued with the next round of fixtures. Southwell and Rhodes University’s 1st Cricket team battled through the conditions to play out their league encounter at Prospect field. Rhodes had played on Saturday against Cuylerville but unfortunately suffered defeat in that game too. Southwell batted first and batted at a steady rate, trying to keep the runs ticking on a tricky batting surface. Rhodes’ bowling lineup did well to limit Southwell scoring big runs, taking wickets at regular intervals to disrupt any…
By MATTHEW PETERSEN Skate Ubuntu is rolling again. The kids of Hlalani are desperate to start skateboarding in their park again. And they need your help. If you have an old skateboard lurking in the garage, consider donating it. Helmets and protective pads are also needed. Use the contacts in the poster below or get hold of the Skate Ubuntu committee at skateubuntu@gmail.com. You can also contact Skate Ubuntu member Liam Ogle on 064 675 7461. The skate park was completed in 2020, but the Covid-19 curveball derailed the project in 2021. Skate Ubuntu committee members who have remained in…
By MATTHEW PETERSEN Years of research and digging through the archives of Makhanda’s longest-serving rugby clubs gave Prof Ashwin Desai and Ashwell Adriaan the idea to tell the untold story of the Eastern Cape’s rugby heritage in Line Breakers: The rugby-playing sons of Makana and Stuurman. Heritage Day proved the perfect day for the book’s official launch at the Amazwi South African Museum of Literature. Desai, a Rhodes graduate, is currently a sociology professor at the University of Johannesburg. Ashwell Adriaan is a long-time Makhanda resident, former rugby player, and curator of the Apartheid and Hector Pieterson Museums. He played…
By MATTHEW PETERSEN Dr Dean Allen provided fascinating insights into how sport and society have shaped each other at a recent seminar at Kingswood College. Allen’s book Empire, War and Cricket in South Africa is a best-seller and highlights how James Logan used his influence to develop the game of cricket in South Africa, in the tiny town of Matjiesfontein. Allen himself has done a lot of work in Matjiesfontein to help grow and inspire the community through a shared love of sport. Sport has a way of uniting people, communities and even countries and is a signifier for overcoming adversity.…
BY MATTHEW PETERSEN Rhodes student media organisation Activate has an impressive sports section with its own Fantasy Premier League (FPL) mini-league, which started as a league for students but has opened up to all Makhanda residents interested in playing the game. For those who don’t know the game, FPL is an online interactive game based on the events of real-life Premier League matches. Managers select a pool of 15 players with a 100m budget for their squad that they can use to select players from Premier League teams, with players’ real-life performances earning managers points for their FPL teams. Managers can make transfers…