We trust and hope that you have all had a good break over the festive season and welcome you to 2011, the year of the seventh Rugby World Cup, which this time around will be hosted by New Zealand.

We start by wishing you all a fabulously successful year with health wealth and happiness and all the other things that you wish yourselves. In the year 2011 May the wind be always at your back, the rain wash away your fears and the Sun shine warm upon your face and let you achieve your goals.

Om a somber note, we at the SA Rugby Legends Association were deeply saddened on hearing of the passing of former Springbok hooker Ronnie Hill, truly one of the great characters of the game. Ronnie of course played in seven tests for South Africa out of Rhodesia making his debut on 3 December 1960 against Wales at Cardiff Arms Park. He played in six winning test matches out of seven and that for one of the fastest striking hookers in world rugby of that era is not a bad record by any measure.

We send our deepest sympathies to Fiona, Joan and all the family on the passing of Ronnie a truly unique and wonderful human being and were delighted to hear that many old Springbok and Rhodesian players including the oldest surviving Springbok captain Des van Jaarsveldt were there to pay tribute to him at what I believe was a superb and well deserved send off. Not many people realize that it was Ron that gave Des his famous nick name THE BALD EAGLE. We won’t forget you Ronnie.

With the newly formed Super 15 about to kickoff on 18 February we can now look forward to another great competition. Having recently heard that the Sharks look a lot fitter and better prepared this year, we wish Plum and the 2010 Currie Cup champions all the best for the 2011 season. We also look forward to a successful year for the Springboks and wish them everything of the best.

Certainly we can all remember how the 1995 Rugby World Cup brought South Africans together in a remarkable and unforgettable year of rugby in our country and 12 years later in 2007 the winning Boks showed the world we can still win world cups after we have introduced rugby players of all colours in our Springbok team - LETS GET BEHIND THE BOKS AND MAKE IT HAPPEN ONCE AGAIN. Can you imagine once SARLA and SARU work together with all the provincial rugby unions on a common development and HiPerformence plan, because at the moment we are only scratching the surface -wishing you all a great year.