Swagger to Cavaliers

25 August 2016 - 09:55 By LIAM DEL CARME

The mere fact that the Boland Cavaliers are travelling to Ellis Park to face the Golden Lions in a Currie Cup clash tomorrow is a measure of success in itself. "We did better than anticipated. It was our goal to qualify [for the Currie Cup] next year," said Boland director of rugby Alan Zondagh.To everyone's surprise the Cavaliers won 11 of 14 matches in the qualifying rounds to earn the right to play in the cup proper.En route they beat the Golden Lions in Grabouw.Zondagh and head coach Brent Janse van Rensburg have turned a struggling team into a competitive one."I was approached by the Boland president Ivan Pekeur to help and I started last year," said Zondagh, who doesn't draw a salary. He also made his Rugby Performance Centre in Riebeek West available as the new training base for Boland rugby."The National Lottery [Board] stopped sponsoring academies, so SA Rugby asked Boland, Border, South Western Districts and Eastern Province to find private funding. I got Remgro to fund the former SA Rugby Academy."The Boland Institute moved to Riebeek West and the senior team also trains there.Zondagh contends the change of scenery has made a huge difference."It is a professional environment for them to train in. All the equipment and the staff are here."Even if you have a mediocre squad, if the players put their minds to it, you can do well."While they beat the EP Kings in the Currie Cup, they've already lost at home to the Sharks and the Free State Cheetahs."I think the intensity in training and the workload was new to them. Playing-wise we just wanted to cement certain things. We have to defend well, get our ball and do the basic things right."We are in the big league and it's difficult to compete against Super rugby players," he said. Zondagh knows that before he can engineer a complete turnaround at Boland he needs to change perceptions."The one thing I have tried to do is to change the Boland image to the outside world. I want people to realise that things are being run professionally. Players must see Boland as a place where you can revive your career."We want players to think that, if they want to improve, Boland is the place to go."..

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