The annual ESPA Christmas luncheon and business networking at the fabulous steakhouse Bar Ba Coa in Umhlanga Rocks was a huge success with ex players and friends from near and far converging on the popular restaurant for the special end of year gathering, which by all accounts had the best turn out of year with everyone arriving with presents for the needy children of The Gods Golden Acre Orphange in Cato Ridge.

Former Springbok captain Gary Teichmann was on hand to give an overview of the ESPA Trust Fund and suggested a golf day be arranged next year to help swell the coffers’ which do need a little boost as quite a bit had been paid out to certain ex-players and their families who had needed financial assistance in the last year.

Among the many ex-players and friends who attended were Len Fry who had travelled with Taffy from Hilton, John ‘Clutch’ Nightingale from Mtunzini in Zululand, Mark Andrews, Dick Muir, Jeremy Thompson, Ryan Strudwick, Andrew ‘Camel’ Blakeway, Craig McIntosh with his mate Paul Pretorious, Ian ‘Plat’ Marais, Dougie Florence and Bruce Robertson with a whole contingent of paddlers. Needles to say no problem with Florence, he decided to promote paddling as a great form of camaraderie and encouraged other ex-players to join them in participating in the fun water sport.

Some of the older generation like Stan Homes and his Uncle Billy and Snowy Suter, former Natal coach Koos Beukes who sat with his famous hooker Rob ‘Rooster’ Hankinson, Deon du Toit and of course the legend himself ‘Scharby’ Schabram were also there to help make the afternoon a very special occassion.

John Allan thanked Mike and Derryck Myers as well as Alan Lazarus for their remarkable support as well as Jason Cox, Russell Hunt and the SAB Millers team for their wonderful backing and sponsorship for a very special cause, as well as the always obliging staff from one of Natal’s finest steak houses Bar-ba-Coa.

By Jos Robson