News Kicking for Posts - A First for Masiphumelele A proud moment for Masiphumelele High School as they receive the first ever set of rugby posts inMasiphumelele donated to the school by The Atlas Foundation. After working with the school for over a year with The Atlas All Schools Programme, there was everygood reason to aim high and set up a rugby field with new rugby posts firmly in place. Covid-19 brought an abrupt halt to Atlas coaching sessions, and this energy was quickly directed todistributing masks, food vouchers and sanitizers to the children along with moral support from theAtlas coaches to keep spirits up. Attention was diverted to the sandy grass field at the school and itgave purpose and meaning to clear the field and get something ready for when the green light is given,once again, for team sport participation. The task done, it was appropriate to officially hand over the new rugby posts and marked pitch to thePrincipal of Masiphumelele High School, Mr M’Africa on Mandela Day. He was joined by his Head ofrugby, Mr Stofile and together they offered up their heart-warming thanks for the recognition andsupport at the school. Notably, the Principal has agreed to the rugby field being a safe place to welcomeother schools to regular rugby matches giving the community the opportunity to support the games. The Atlas Foundation, founded by Jason Leonard OBE, operates in 16 countries around the globeworking with over 50 000 children. Championed by rugby legends across the continents, Atlas Africais fortunate to enjoy the support of legends like John Smit, Joel Stransky, Percy Montgomery, NickMallett, Bob Skinstad, Humphrey Kayange, John Le Roux and others who embrace the Atlas missionof providing children with a chance to thrive. With a generous donation from the directors at Quantity Surveying Solutions (www.qs-solutions.co.za) for the rugby posts and a likewise contribution from the Rolf-Stephan NussbaumFoundation it made the project achievable. Both entities see the enormous impact of rugby valuesand how these principles are a guiding force for these youngsters to be the best people they can be. The Masiphumelele Community is a rugby loving community, with many of the original communityformerly from the Eastern Cape where rugby is a religion. There is a great story behind the foundersof rugby in Masi who were determined to establish rugby for the future generation and they keenlygathered on any available space to keep the sport going. “The Atlas Foundation has now created afield that brings dignity and pride to the players and everything to play for at their school. Long maythis legacy and passion of rugby live on in Masi” says Sue Anderson who heads up The AtlasFoundation Africa in SA. If you would like to join the Atlas Africa journey in any way by means of your time, contribution orsponsorship, we guarantee life changing moments for all. Please make contact with us at[email protected] and let’s walk this journey together. Manage Cookie Preferences