This is a short story of my teammate from African Bombers rugby club.
African Bombers is one of the oldest rugby clubs in Gqeberha, having been formed in 1954 in Veeplaas.
It has produced a number of star rugby players during the non-racial rugby days.
It has survived many challenging times, during the breakaway from the PE board in the late 1960s, to the formation of KWARU, the split of KWARU in the early ’80s and that split lead to the formation of ZWIRU.
The last challenge being the sports integration in the early ’90s which was the worst challenge for black African rugby in the townships, which led to the demise of countless rugby teams.
I regard Wonga Joka as the best product of African Bombers because Wonga has undergone all the levels of development in the team from third team, to the second team, then the reserve team and finally alongside me in the first team.
I know you may contest me by raising the name of Thobela Zwini, one of the stars of African Bombers, who has a record of scoring many tries.
I differ with you because when Zwini was recruited, he was placed in the first team and had not undergone all the development stages.
Another point about the two players that fills me with joy and respect regarding their talent, is that they never went to former model C schools such as Grey High School.
They came straight from African Bombers in the township and competed on merit with white players.
The reason I am saying Wonga is a successful rugby player is because success for me is not measured on a material basis.
Success means a man must have a family and provide them with shelter, and this is why I regard him as successful.
Wonga was a winger in rugby with very solid foot work.
In football, I would compare his footwork to Arsenal’s French player Thierry Henry.
Wonga’s level of defence was very good, and he was able to read the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition.
Talking to him about his rugby days as a provincial rugby player, the first thing that comes out his mouth is giving praise to the management of African Bombers, the people who he led, not singling out anyone.
He described management as having exceptional leadership skills, providing a family structure to those who came from family backgrounds that lacked that structure.
He had profound interest in community development.
Another point he mentioned is how they would recruit players with academic excellence to add value to the younger players.
An example is a player called Mawabo Dyubel, who was a graduate and a sharp thinker, who influenced quick thinking and motivating the youngsters to go to school and study.
Wonga was coached by top coaches, Niely Smith and Koli Brant and the president of the Eastern Province rugby union, George Davis.
Wonga is well versed with rugby knowledge.
What frustrates me is that he is not given a chance to make use of his rugby knowledge.
I look at the Eastern Cape provincial structure of rugby and the national structure of rugby coaching and I see people who are not on his level when it comes to the knowledge of the game.
I then ask myself why there is no interest from the powers above to make use of this talent?
Mbulelo Lugogwana, former African Bombers rugby player
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