UCT Golf at Royal Cape & UCT Rugby Club

        It was back to "normal" now that Sally, Peter and Sarah had left town. It had been incredible having them here, showing them around a bit and exploring new things I had yet to see with them. And as they left I had more new experiences that I was about to begin. The first UCT Golf Club Round was taking place at Royal Cape Golf Club, the first golf course in South Africa. A prestigious Royal course, the club had hosted the South African Open ten times and had seen Ernie Els, Trevor Immelmann and Gary Player all hoist the trophy. This immediately made it a cool course to play and I was eager to get back out on the course after a few months off of the links.

The Big Easy in 2001 Winning at Royal Cape

       I was paired with three South Africans, two from Cape Town and one from Johannesburg. We teed off around 12:30 and could tell right off the bat it would be a slow round. On a perfect Cape Town day the course was crowded and the UCT students were relishing the opportunity to play the course. The fact that I hadn't played in months didn't make my round less enjoyable per se, but it did make looking at my scorecard less enjoyable. I felt good off of the tee but irons and short game were quite rusty. Had no feel around the greens, but what can you expect.

         Not my best performance on the course, but it was a fun way to spend the day none the less. The views in Cape Town are ideal for scenic holes on the course. I tried to learn as much as I could from the South Africans regarding which courses were the best to play in the area, how much it costs, etc... I hope to play a course on the water, the view of mountains and ocean together is unparalleled and hope to find some courses with some hills, Royal Cape was very flat. After the round the team met up to award best net and gross rounds of the day which were 74 gross and 68 net, after which a few beers were had before everyone headed their separate ways.

After the round the Team meets up to Award Best Net and Gross Rounds

        The next day happened to be a game day for UCT Rugby Varsity Cup. These guys are the SEC football players of South Africa and I play not on the 2nd team, but the third team. These guys looked like NFL players out there, they are huge, know the game well, strong and fast. It was a windy Monday afternoon on Upper Campus and ball movement was not easy, but they made it look simple. The best way to learn rugby is to either watch it or play it. With my first scrimmage looming I was hopeful to watch as much rugby as possible before I was put out onto the field to play. 

       The crowd at the UCT game was energetic, especially for 17:00 on a Monday. There were pledges of different societies running around in nothing but diapers and body paint, platy of inebriated students and everyone was shaving a good jol. I headed up to the game with a few Middlebury kids who I am taking a class with.  

Varsity Cup Game at UCT attracts big crowds

        We watched, enjoyed and tried to understand everything that was happening and by trying to explain to others I started to understand more thoroughly. As I walked away from the gas, I relayed that the next night i would be out on that very same field for a scrimmage, with fewer fans luckily, playing in my first game. This was concerning because I still only understood a fraction of the game. But, I knew it would be fine once I got out there and took a few hits.

University of Cape Town IKEY Tigers Varsity Cup Rugby Club

         Classes on Tuesday flew by and before long I was heading to Upper Campus to take part in my first match. It was against other UCT players, but was still a big leap for me from practice and touch rugby pickup. I have yet to be designated a permanent position, though I played 6 and 7 (flanker) for most of the game. I had a few tackles, a few carries and walked away with a few bumps and bruises. I learned a lot actually playing, and the older more knowledgeable guys are very helpful in pointing out where to be. It felt good to be out on a field in a serious competitive environment, the first I'd really been in since Lawrenceville. Golf matches are competitive but completely different mentally. Tying up my cleats and stretching out while watching your opponent get ready is something I've missed. That feeling when you first step onto the field and the lights come on and you can feel the energy among a group of guys, thats what I miss the most and am happy to have it back in my life for the semester.