Tashreeq Brown, 14, from Manenberg, flew off to Johannesburg on Monday to represent the province at Iqhawe Week – a development rugby tournament for under-15 boys.
Wacela Brown, the mother of the Garlandale High School loosehead prop, said her son had grown up in an area riddled with crime, drugs, and gangsterism, but he had made the right choices in life and she was thankful for that and proud of him.
“We are feeling excited about the opportunity. We’ve been through many sacrifices to get Tashreeq to where he is now. It is really overwhelming for everyone in the house. We had to make sure he’s always at training, had to always make sure there was money to pay what needed to be paid, including having petrol up and down twice a week,” she said.
Tashreeq had had three training sessions a week over the past two months with Wajadeen Schnell, assistant coach of the Western Province Iqawe under-15 team, said Ms Brown.
Tashreeq said he had started playing rugby in February last year after one of his teachers had encouraged him to play in a school tournament.
“My sister and grandfather both played rugby. When I step on the field, I know that I have to do my best and have a good mindset, keep it positive, and have respect for other players and the other team. When the match is over, we don’t walk away with bad feelings, we shake hands with the opposing team. I am grateful for the opportunity and discovered my passion for rugby when my coach motivated me to play. I am hoping to achieve a trophy in the cup and let scouts see me and play for the Springboks one day,” he said.
Mr Schnell, said Tashreeq was a versatile player but excelled as a loosehead prop.
Sport could stop Cape Flats youth from being drawn into gangsterism, he said.
“In our younger days, there was a group called Come and Play in the Cape Flats, and you never heard of youngsters dying like they are now. That is what we are trying to do, to encourage parents to allow their kids to play sport again, to keep them away from the negativity and social ills.”