As most of you already know, the Cape Town Tens Tournament was held at Hamiltons Rugby Club last weekend. What you wouldn’t know, if you weren’t there, is what a raging success the whole weekend was! My condolences to all who didn’t make it. You REALLY missed out!

Surrounded on three sides by Table Mountain, the newly completed Cape Town Stadium and the Atlantic Ocean respectively, Hamiltons Rugby Club forms the perfect venue for the Cape Town Tens Tournament. Only in it’s second year, the tournament has been highly successful, with 2010 being bigger and better than the inaugural 2009 Cape Town Tens Tournament, and it is only set to grow from here.

The brainchild of former Springboks, Bob Skinstad and Robbie Fleck, in conjunction with Tournament Director Ron Rutland, and Don Everitt of Kreate Event Management, pooled their collective knowledge to bring this unique, ground-breaking event to the Mother City in February 2009, and there really is nothing they haven’t thought about.

Chilling hard, drinking a pint, playing some rugga:

From the electrifying on-field action, to the giant SAB Castle Beer Tent, where everyone, myself included, and especially ex Wallaby hooker, Jeremy Paul, enjoyed many a pint, late into the night. All your needs were catered for. What’s that, you’re feeling a tad peckish after 8 pints…? Well, make your way over to one of the very decently priced food tents and grab a bite to eat, before London based band, the Lightyears start playing their set…

Enjoying the Cape Town Tens Vibe: Read More >>

The Stormers squad to face Boland, at the newly completed Cape Town Stadium, for their final Super 14 warm up match, is as follows:

• JD Moller
• Deon Fourie
• JC Kritzinger
• Rynhardt Elstadt
• Anton Van Zyl
• Schalk Burger (C)
• Yaya Hartzenberg
• Pieter Louw
• Ricky Januarie
• Willem De Waal
• Dylan Des Fountain
• Paul Bosch
• Frikkie Welsh
• Sireli Naqelevuki
• Fabian Juries

Reserves:

• Callie Visagie
• Eusebio Guinazu
• Martin Muller
• Pieter Myburgh
• Conraad Britz
• Bolla Conradie
• Lionel Cronje
• Tim Whitehead
• Duane Vermeulen
• Bryan Habana
• Juan De Jongh
• Gio Aplon

This from Cape Town Tens: Former All Blacks captain Tana Umaga, still one of the most recognisable names in world rugby, will complete the International Legends line-up at the 2010 Castle Cape Town Tens.

Umaga will join tournament hosts Bob Skinstad and Robbie Fleck and eight other former internationals in a star-studded International Legends team this weekend and he could not be more excited at the prospect of teaming up with his old foes.

“Zak (Feaunati) got hold of me to find out if I would be keen to play and I obviously know Bob and Rob well from our playing days, so it was great to hear from them and be able to take up the opportunity of coming out for the 2010 Cape Town Tens. Bob and Rob tried to get me out to the Tens last year, but I was unable to make it due to my playing and coaching commitments in France.”

“However, with this season’s French Top 14 on a break, due to Six Nations action, and of course, once I checked things through with my boss (my wife!), I was able to commit to this year’s tournament and I cannot wait to get out and be involved in this great tournament.”

Umaga is, at present, the assistant coach at French club Toulon; having last season filled the role of player/manager as he helped guide his side to safety after flirting dangerously with the dreaded relegation zone.

Toulon are currently in sixth place on the Top 14 standings, and pushing hard for a Heineken Cup place next season, and a more relaxed Umaga is looking forward to a weekend away in Cape Town, his favourite South African city.

“Zak has told me plenty about the overall organisation and everybody that is involved, so it really was an easy invite to accept,” he revealed.

“I’ve not played Tens before, but I think that’s also why I’m so excited – it seems like a great format of the game and I can’t wait to experience it for myself.”

Umaga, who played 74 Tests for New Zealand between 1997 and 2005, retired from Test rugby after leading his side on a successful Grand Slam tour of Europe, having also ‘Black-Washed’ the B&I Lions earlier in the 2005 season. In all, he skippered the All Blacks to an incredible 18 wins from 21 matches.

The full International Legends squad: Read More >>