DOES SPORT UNIFY?

I was told that the best way to make friends in a new place is join as many clubs as possible and this way you will meet people. And how right this is :

Troy and I joined “Douro Rugby Club,” and the people have been so amazing, caring and have made such a big effort with us. The Chairman Guilherme Marques De Fonseca calls to see how we doing and follows up if we miss a session. This is phenomenal. This culture is what builds success, as you get a sense of belonging and loyalty. The Club is building a youth team, but meantime Troy is training with the adults.

The training is outstanding, the culture inspiring, the vibe is loads of fun. We look forward to a long relationship with Douro Rugby Club.

Rugby unified a country in 1995 when all seemed lost, Nelson Mandela wore the ‘green and gold’ and had a NO 6 on his jersey, a shared position with Francis Pienaar, the captain of the Springboks. Against all odds this team won the World Cup, and brought unity to a Nation. The success of a Nations transformation led to the film Invictus being produced by friend Lori McReary which tells this incredible story. Iconic actor Morgan Freeman plays Nelson Mandela and Matt Damon plays Francois Pienaar.

Saturday the 24th of July 2021 the Springboks play the British Lions, – South Africa again needs re-unification after the looting and chaos over Zuma, may this game be the catalyst to reunify South Africa? May the crowd stand together and support the Mighty Springboks. Can history repeat itself?

Rugby is synonymous with South African Culture, however to our surprise the sport is popular in Portugal and there is serious talent and coaching. The season we are spending here is opening doors to new friends, new experiences and a new life. We are proudly South African but equally proudly part of the Douro Rugby Club.

Looking forward to the season and new friendships in Porto:

Bruce Macdonald from Porto ‘the City of Angels’