The Vodacom Cup, 15 years down the line

The SA Rugby Union (SARU) realised the need to create a tournament that could act as a breeding ground for young, up-and-coming, exciting talent from all walks of life and afford those players with previously limited opportunities, the chance to wear their province's colours and showcase their skills to a wider audience with the hope of one day wearing the coveted green-and-gold.

One of the early stars of the Vodacom Cup who epitomised the ethos of the tournament was Deon Kayser whose exceptional combination of speed, vision and great footwork had him ascend through the ranks from the Vodacom Cup in 1998 to getting his first Springbok cap one year later.

Kayser went on to play more than 170 first-class matches, wore the Springbok jersey in 13 Tests, played in the 1999 Rugby World Cup and scored five Test tries over the course of his career. Kayser was a prime example of what can happen when a player is given the right platform to showcase and develop his natural ability.

His rugby career has come full circle

Kayser has since gone on to become a coach for the Sharks Academy and the KwaZulu-Natal junior provincial sides. As a result, his rugby career has come full circle from the days when he played in the Vodacom Cup, to the present where he is doing his part to nurture the sport at a younger level.

Kayser is not the only player to ascend through the ranks, starting with the Vodacom Cup. In fact, such is the prominence of the tournament that every player in the 2011 RWC-squad played in the Vodacom Cup at some stage of their careers.

The Vodacom Cup is also the most well-travelled of any of the rugby tournaments that take place in South Africa, with games being played as far afield as Phalaborwa, Springbok, Mtataha and Pongola, it truly is a tournament that brings top-class rugby to communities that don't get the opportunity to experience rugby at that level otherwise.

Tag rugby

The recent inclusion of Tag rugby in last year's Vodacom Cup is another step in the right direction when it comes to rugby development in South Africa. Last year alone had 136 schools being introduced to Tag rugby over the course of the Vodacom Cup, all of which are now playing rugby on a regular basis.

"The Vodacom Cup has a rich legacy of promoting rugby development in South Africa, which we hope will continue to grow and produce new talent in the future," said SARU's GM of marketing and promotions, Andy Marinos.

"For 15 years the tournament has been instrumental in creating not only great players, but also long-term career opportunities in rugby. It is a tournament that has promoted the development and transformation of not only the players who take part in it, but also the communities where the tournament and the Tag clinics are held," said Marinos.

This year's Vodacom Cup will once again adopt the key theme of Tjovitjo, which is township slang that is generally accepted to mean "It's all good" and finds its roots from the sound of a whistle being blown at full volume.